About the Recipe
You can make tempura from just about any vegetable you can think of, so it is ideal for preparing a vegetarian or vegan meal. The key to success is to slice the vegetables to a thickness where they will fry quickly enough to prevent the tempura batter from overcooking. I usually prepare harder vegetables such as lotus root or sweet potato by microwaving them on a plate wrapped with cling film on a high setting for a minute or two to soften the flesh before dipping them in batter.
Ingredients
4 thin slices, aubergine
4 shiso/oba leaves
60 g carrot, cut into sticks
100g japanese pumpkin, thinly sliced
for the tempura batter:
70g self raising flour
40g cornflour
1/2 egg, beaten
140ml water
oil for deep frying
Preparation
fill 1/4 of a sauce pan with veg oil and heat to 180’C / 350 F
to make the tempura batter:
put the self raising flour, cornflour, egg & water in a bowl and mix well
to check the temperature of the oil, drop a small piece of batter in the oil. if the batter bubbles and floats to the surface, you’re ready to go
dip the shiso in the batter and deep fry quickly in the oil, turning once or twice for about 1 min
remove and drain on a piece of kitchen paper
repeat with the rest of the vegetables
the pumpkin will take longer to cook - test it with a fork to be ensure the flesh has softened (it should take 2-3 mins)
once you have deep fried all the vegetables, your tempura dish is ready. serve with Japanese rice.