Vegetable Tempura

Photo: flickr user Loozrboy

Ingredients

1 Green or red bell pepper seeded, and

cut into 1/4"-wide strips

1 Zucchini unpeeled, and

cut into 1/4"-wide strips

10 mediums Mushrooms

2 Carrots peeled, and

cut into 3"-long strips

6 Green onions roots trimmed, and

6 Broccoli florets

cup Flour

6 tablespoons Cornstarch

1 teaspoon Salt

4 Eggs

cup Ice water

Peanut oil

Preparation

Prepare all vegetables and dipping sauces and refrigerate vegetables. Combine flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together eggs and ice water. Add to flour mixture and stir until batter is blended and moist, but a little lumpy. Do not stir again. Keep batter cold by placing in a larger bowl filled with crushed ice.

Heat oil in a wok, deep fryer or large stockpot. When oil is very hot, dip vegetables, one at a time, into batter to coat. Slowly immerse battered vegetables into oil and fry until golden brown. Serve at once with dipping sauces.

Serves 6.

Comments: Tempura is a Japanese frying technique in which small pieces of food are dipped in a thin batter and fried in hot oil in a wok. The result is a very delicate, crunchy and tender delicacy. It is important to prepare all ingredients, including dipping sauces, in advance and have all items "on deck" for quick frying. Before adding battered vegetables, make certain that oil is very hot, about 375 to 400 degrees.

Oil that is not hot enough will result in a soggy, greasy and very caloric piece of mealy vegetable. Experiment with your own favorite vegetables.