I don't know if you've tried it, but tempura is one of the yummy, sort-of-not-so-healthy vegetarian treats which I enjoy. I just finished up my finals (thank you all for tolerating the break), so I'm going to start posting twice a week again, with cleaning articles on Tuesday for the rest of the month. There will be a postponed cleaning article on laundry in the next few days. Thank you all for your patience.
But back to tempura and finals. I crave bad-for-you treats when I get under stress, so tempura is a nice way to indulge my need for fried foods without going too far down the non-veg path. This particular recipe hails from the Japanese Country Cookbook by Russ Rudzinski. It's also really easy and delicious. A decent amount, with sauce and salad, makes a good meal.
You Will Need:
Batter:
1c flour
1c water
1 egg
1tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
Assorted veggies
Sauce if you're feeling fancy:
1c vegetable stock
1/2c sugar
1/2c soy sauce
2Tbsp mirin or sherry (or not, as you wish)
Start by making the batter about 15 minutes before you plan to cook. Beat all the ingredients (with chopsticks, if you want to be authentic). It should still be a bit lumpy. After it sets, it should cling to a dipped beater and fall off in large drops. If it's too thick, add a little water. Mix the sauce.
Slice your vegetables about 1/4 inch thick. For my tempura, I sliced a winter squash and half a sweet potato. You could also try green peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, string beans, eggplant, or even onions.
Pour about an inch to two inches of oil in the sauce pan. Heat it to 375 degrees, or to when a drop of batter settles to the bottom, then immediately rises. Dip your vegetables in the batter, let the excess drain off, and put them into the oil. Don't overcrowd! Start with 4 and work your way up. Turn them in about two minutes, or when golden brown. It helps to use two pairs of chopsticks for this - one to dip in batter, one to flip the tempura.
Serve them with the sauce, at room temperature.
But back to tempura and finals. I crave bad-for-you treats when I get under stress, so tempura is a nice way to indulge my need for fried foods without going too far down the non-veg path. This particular recipe hails from the Japanese Country Cookbook by Russ Rudzinski. It's also really easy and delicious. A decent amount, with sauce and salad, makes a good meal.
You Will Need:Batter:
1c flour
1c water
1 egg
1tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
Assorted veggies
Sauce if you're feeling fancy:
1c vegetable stock
1/2c sugar
1/2c soy sauce
2Tbsp mirin or sherry (or not, as you wish)
Start by making the batter about 15 minutes before you plan to cook. Beat all the ingredients (with chopsticks, if you want to be authentic). It should still be a bit lumpy. After it sets, it should cling to a dipped beater and fall off in large drops. If it's too thick, add a little water. Mix the sauce.
Slice your vegetables about 1/4 inch thick. For my tempura, I sliced a winter squash and half a sweet potato. You could also try green peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, string beans, eggplant, or even onions.
Pour about an inch to two inches of oil in the sauce pan. Heat it to 375 degrees, or to when a drop of batter settles to the bottom, then immediately rises. Dip your vegetables in the batter, let the excess drain off, and put them into the oil. Don't overcrowd! Start with 4 and work your way up. Turn them in about two minutes, or when golden brown. It helps to use two pairs of chopsticks for this - one to dip in batter, one to flip the tempura.
Serve them with the sauce, at room temperature.
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