Vegetable Tempura

The Itsu Cookbook

Posted by Octopus Publishing

About

Here’s a fun and easy way to prepare any seasonal vegetables. The secret to crisp, light tempura batter is to get the oil hot enough and fry only small batches at a time. The hotter the oil, the less it is absorbed by the batter, and the healthier the result. Increase the quantities below
and serve the tempura with ponzu sauce for a fabulous party snack. Note that the cooking oil can be reused; just cool and strain it, then store it in an airtight container.

Serves 2

• 274 calories
• 1.1g saturated fat

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You Will Need (12 things)

  • 1 Small Aubergine (about 300g)
  • 200 g Asparagus
  • 8 Small Spring Onions , trimmed
  • 100 g Green Beans , topped
  • About 800ml Sunflower Oil , for deep-frying
  • 1 quantity Ponzu Sauce , to serve

  • BATTER

  • 100 g Plain Flour
  • 25 g Cornflour
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 200 ml –250ml chilled Sparkling Water

Steps (8 steps, 60 minutes)

  1. 1

    Cut the aubergine in half lengthways and then into 5mm crescents.

  2. 2

    Snap off and discard the woody ends of the asparagus. Slice the
    remainder in half lengthways and then into short fingers.

  3. 3

    Cut the spring onions into short fingers.

  4. 4

    To make the batter, sift the flours and baking powder into a bowl
    and stir in the salt. Whisk in the water to make a smooth batter that
    has the consistency of pouring cream. Add more water if necessary.

  5. 5

    In a deep saucepan, heat the oil to 180°C, or until a teaspoon of
    batter added to the pan sizzles and starts to brown immediately.

  6. 6

    Warm a plate and cover it with kitchen paper.

  7. 7

    Dip a handful of cut vegetables into the batter, then carefully lower
    them one at a time into the hot oil. Fry for less than a minute, until
    the batter is puffy and golden. Using tongs, transfer them to the
    prepared plate. Repeat until all the vegetables are cooked.

  8. 8

    Serve the tempura hot, with the ponzu sauce in a bowl for dipping.