veggie tempura
野菜の天ぷら、やさい の てんぷら Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer
Fresh veggies, battered and deep-fried into crisp tempura and dipped in tempura sauce is everything in Japan. It’s always okay to find balance in your lifestyle. I’ve learned from the Japanese that as long as you are active and living a healthy lifestyle, you can always indulge. Try this recipe out as a weekend treat and share with your friends!
TEMPURA BATTER
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
4 cups rice bran oil (kome abura); (see Note)
1 large egg
11⁄4 cups ice-cold water or seltzer water 1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Maldon or other sea salt, for finishing
OPTIONAL VEGGIES
(Approximately 10 cups of your choice of starchy veggies)
Sweet potatoes, skin-on, thinly sliced into disks
Kabocha squash, unpeeled, thinly sliced into half-moons
Green beans, trimmed
Shiitake mushrooms, whole, stems removed
Onion rings, sliced
Large carrots, peeled, sliced
Shaved burdock root, peeled, thinly sliced on the bias
Lotus root, sliced
Okra, top trimmed, sliced
2 tablespoons cake flour, for lightly tossing the veggies in before deep frying
Line a large baking sheet with paper towels.
In a large bowl, combine the veggies of your choice and toss lightly with 2 tablespoons of the cake flour.
In a large pot, carefully heat the oil over medium-high heat.
In a separate medium bowl, add all batter ingredients and whisk until combined to make batter. Grab a small
handful of the flour-coated veggies and carefully dredge them in the tempura batter, lightly coating them. Carefully lower the batter-coated veggies into the hot oil and fry.
When the veggies are golden brown and float to the top, use a slotted spoon, spider, or chopsticks to carefully trans- fer them to the prepared baking sheet to drain excess oil.
