Puffed Rice Pizza Crackers

Step 1

Rinse the sticky rice. Drain and transfer to a medium saucepan. Cover with the water and bring to a boil, over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and let simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until rice is tender and no water remains. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Transfer the cooked sticky rice to a bowl and add the tomato paste, nutritional yeast, sugar, oregano, basil, salt, and onion powder. Stir to coat the rice with the seasonings.

Step 3

Transfer the seasoned rice to a large sheet of parchment paper (about 20x14-inch). Cover with another sheet of parchment paper and flatten the mixture using a rolling pin into a thin layer (about the thickness of a grain of rice). Carefully remove the top sheet of parchment paper.

Step 4

Transfer the sheet of parchment paper with the layer of rice to a baking sheet. Bake at 250°F (120°C) for 40 minutes.

Step 5

Remove from the oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes. The layer of rice should be soft and foldable. Using a pair of scissors, cut the layer of rice into 1.5-inch squares. Arrange the squares into a single layer on the baking sheet and bake at 250°F (120°C) for another 40 minutes.

Step 6

Remove from the oven. The crackers should be dry and hard, that is normal. Let cool for a few minutes.

Step 7

To fry: heat about 2 cups of oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, fry 3-4 crackers at a time for about 10 seconds, or until crackers have puffed. Do not fry for longer than that or the crackers will be overcooked and get a bitter taste.

Step 8

Transfer the puffed crackers to a plate lined with kitchen paper towel to drain the excess oil and repeat with the remaining crackers.

Step 9

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.