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I love vegetable tempura for 3 reasons: it’s very simple and quick, it’s very yummy, it helps to use up bits and pieces of vegetables. It’s a great dish and very filling too. It’s my favourite Japanese dish.
What is Tempura?
Tempura is a wet batter used in Japanese cuisine: crisp, light coating to seafood and vegetables. Tempura batter absorbs less oil (and this is why it’s even better to use corn flour but all purpose flour is good too) and it’s healthier compared to other deep fried food.
Tempura Batter Recipe
Making the batter is very simple, this is exactly what I used:
- 85g corn flour or plain flour if you don’t have corn flour
- 200ml soda water, chilled and the more bubbles, the better!
- 1/4 tsp suger
- 1/4 tsp salt
What Vegetables Can be Used for Tempura?
- pumpkin or butternut squash
- red onion
- carrot
- aubergine
- bell pepper
- mushroom
- courgette
- potato and sweet potato
- asparagus
- green beans
I don’t always make a proper tempura sauce, often I just use regular, store bought soy sauce as a dip. So if you don’t have ingredients at home for the sauce do not despair – just use soy sauce.
Is Veggie Tempura Healthy?
Its healthiness can vary. On one hand, it offers a mix of vitamins and minerals from the vegetables. However, the deep-frying process adds calories and unhealthy fats, which can detract from its nutritional benefits. To make veggie tempura a healthier option, consider using less batter or opting for an air-fried version.
What Makes Tempura So Crispy?
Tempura is revered for its remarkable crispiness, a quality that sets it apart from other fried dishes. The secret lies in the batter, and it’s crucial to keep the batter cold; this helps maintain a light texture when fried. Additionally, tempura is often cooked in hot oil, typically around 340°F to 360°F, creating an instant barrier that seals in moisture. Ultimately, the combination of cold batter and hot oil creates that irresistible crispy coating!
How to Make the Tempura Very Crispy:
- Make sure you the water is ice cold; this is important to prevent the batter from absorbing too much oil
- As mentioned: corn flour or pastry flour is better than plain flour
- Don’t over mix the batter; you actually want it to be somewhat lumpy
- Use a wooden spoon to mix the batter rather than a whisk
- Make sure the oil is hot enough when you fry the tempura, otherwise the batter will absorb too much oil
Enjoy.
Super Simple Vegetable Tempura
Ingredients
For the batter
- 85 g corn flour or plain flour
- 200 ml soda water chilled, the more bubbles the better
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the tempura sauce
- 60 ml mirin (Japanese wine)
- 240 ml water
- 1 tbsp dashi
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
Instructions
- Cut up mixed vegetables into chunky pieces and slices.Take a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt and sugar. Gradually but gently whisk in the chilled sparkling water.
- Heat oil in a frying pan. Ideally, you will need it to cover the vegetable pieces as they fry. Make sure the oil is hot oil and fry until they are golden brown and crispy. Most ingredients only need 2 to 3 minutes a side.
- In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in dashi, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in mirin and soy sauce.Serve immediately with Japanese rice.
Notes
Tips
1 comment
Wow, the Japanese vegetable tempura recipe looks delicious, shared ingredients and instruction are useful