Vegetable tempura is a delightful Japanese dish featuring an array of lightly battered and fried vegetables, ranging from delicate asparagus and crisp green beans to savory sweet potato and flavorful shiitake mushrooms. Paired with a delectable ginger dipping sauce, this culinary creation is a perfect blend of textures and flavors, making it a popular choice for both vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. The key to achieving the perfect vegetable tempura is in the preparation of the batter and the choice of vegetables. This article provides a comprehensive guide to creating an irresistible vegetable tempura with ginger dipping sauce, offering step-by-step instructions, ingredient recommendations, and helpful tips to ensure a successful and enjoyable cooking experience.
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DIPPING SAUCE FOR TEMPURA VEGETABLES
This dipping sauce hits so many flavor notes-salty, sweet, sour, umami. It's the perfect accompaniment to termpura vegetables.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Quick & Easy Recipes
Yield Makes 1/2 cup
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Using a ginger grater or the fine side of a box grater, grate ginger root. Fold a 12-inch square of cheesecloth into quarters. Place the grated ginger in corner of cheesecloth. Working over a medium bowl, tightly wring the ginger in order to extract the juice. Discard the cheesecloth and the remaining root.
- Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, 3 tablespoons water, mirin, scallion, lemon juice, and vinegar to the ginger juice. Whisk to combine. Dipping sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.
TEMPURA VEGETABLES WITH SOY SAUCE
Steps:
- Sift first 3 ingredients over a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup of chilled club soda and mix with chop sticks or fork. Add the rest of the club soda and mix. Be careful not to over mix. The lumps give the tempura batter its unique texture. Over moderately high heat fill a deep pan or wok with about 3 inches of vegetable oil. Add vegetables sparingly to the batter making sure they are covered. Place vegetables 1 at a time in the oil and fry until batter has turned golden brown about 1 minute. Repeat until all vegetables have been cooked. Serve with soy sauce for dipping.
VEGETABLE TEMPURA
Tempura batter is very handy and easy to make. You can use it with just about any vegetable, as long as they are cut thin enough so that the vegetable can just cook and soften in the same time as it takes for the batter to crisp. These can be eaten alone as a starter with a good sprinkle of rock salt, halves of lemon or lime and possibly some of the dips. The battered vegetables also make a nice side dish, especially with simply cooked meat or fish and a salad.
Provided by Jamie Oliver
Categories appetizer
Time 35m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Add all the flour to a bowl. With the handle of a spoon, or a chopstick, mix, and stir in the ice-cold water until the mixture is slightly thicker than buttermilk consistency. Make a point of not mixing thoroughly, as tempura is renowned for lumps of flour.
- Dip sliced vegetables (zucchini, onions, eggplants, carrots, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, string beans, broccoli, wild mushrooms, fresh herbs, and bok choy) any vegetables will work but these are the most commonly used) into the batter mixture and shake off any excess.
- Deep fry vegetables in a wok or deep fat fryer (you can use a frying pan if you do not have anything else, you just need about 7cm/3 inches of clean oil) at 200C/400F/Gas 6 until the batter is light golden in color and crisp. (Any large amounts of hot oil in a kitchen, especially in woks which are not always that sturdy, scare me, please be careful and do not leave the pan unattended.) Turn the vegetables at intervals to ensure that both sides are cooked equally and then fish them out with a slotted spoon, shaking off any excess oil. Place them on kitchen paper towels and eat as soon as possible. The reason that I keep going on about eating them so quickly is because as your hot cooked vegetables cool down inside the batter they begin to steam, making them less crisp as time goes on. Good tempura should be crispy and is one of those things that should be made and cooked quickly and eaten straight away.
- Pour the rice wine vinegar into a small bowl. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Taste for sweetness. Add cilantro, chile, and garlic and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and allow to sit for 10 minutes to 1 hour, for flavors to combine.;
VEGETABLE TEMPURA
Crisp and delicious vegetable tempura makes an impressive Japanese appetizer. Serve with the dipping sauce or simply with soy sauce if you prefer a vegetarian option.
Provided by ChefJackie
Categories Appetizers and Snacks Beans and Peas
Time 40m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Whisk light soy sauce, mirin, and dashi granules together in a bowl for the sauce; set aside.
- Whisk water and egg yolks together in a bowl until well combined. Sift in flour and whisk until just combined; batter will be a bit lumpy.
- Heat vegetable oil in a wok or a deep saucepan until very hot, but not smoking.
- Dip sweet potato, onion, bell pepper, green beans, and shiitake mushrooms one by one into the batter and transfer immediately into the hot oil. Deep-fry tempura in batches, making sure to not overcrowd the wok, until batter is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from oil and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat until all vegetables have been used. Serve hot with dipping sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 349.8 calories, Carbohydrate 42.6 g, Cholesterol 68.3 mg, Fat 16.6 g, Fiber 4.2 g, Protein 6.5 g, SaturatedFat 2.5 g, Sodium 216 mg, Sugar 6.6 g
VEGETABLE TEMPURA WITH SOY & DIPPING SAUCE
These crisp Japanese-style treats are great for nibbles or a veggie main course.
Provided by Good Food team
Categories Dinner, Snack, Starter, Vegetable
Time 25m
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Mix together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Make the batter (see right). Cover a baking tray with sheets of kitchen paper. Start to heat a deep-fat frying pan or large wok a third full of oil and have the frying basket, or slotted spoon to hand
- When the oil reaches 190C dip some of the prepared veg briefly into the batter, shake off any excess, then lower straight into the hot oil. Don't crowd the frying basket. Fry for about 2 mins until light golden and crisp, then drain on kitchen paper.
- Repeat with the remaining vegetables in batches, dipping into the batter just before you fry them and remember to let the oil heat back up to temperature between each batch. Keep the tempura warm in the oven, leaving the door slightly ajar so that they stay crisp. They are best served immediately on a warm plate with the sauce alongside for dipping.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 471 calories, Fat 35 grams fat, SaturatedFat 6 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 33 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 4 grams sugar, Fiber 4 grams fiber, Protein 5 grams protein, Sodium 2.08 milligram of sodium
GINGER DIPPING SAUCE
This is a great sauce that is very versatile. I like it best with chicken or shrimp, but you can use it for vegetables, or even steak.
Provided by Susan
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes
Time 10m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a blender, combine onion, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Process until smooth. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 11.7 calories, Carbohydrate 2.8 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 0.9 g, Sodium 602 mg, Sugar 0.5 g
VEGETABLE TEMPURA WITH GINGER DIPPING SAUCE
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- 1. TO MAKE THE SAUCE: Place the ginger in a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze and wring the ginger over a bowl to extract the juice. Discard the pulp. You should have 2 tablespoons ginger juice. 2. In a small, nonreactive saucepan, bring the soy sauce, sherry, vinegar, and brown sugar to a boil over high heat and cook for 1 minute. Let cool completely. Stir in the ginger juice. (The sauce can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead, covered, and kept at room temperature.) 3. TO MAKE THE TEMPURA: Prepare the vegetables as follows: Broccoli and cauliflower: Cut into 1-inch florets. Red or green bell peppers: Discard seeds, ribs, and stems. Cut into 1/2-inch-wide by 2-inch-long strips. Scallions: Cut off the green tops, leaving about 1 inch attached to the white portion. Save the green tops for another use. Sweet potatoes: Peel and cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. 4. In a medium bowl, whisk the rice flour and baking powder to mix. Add the ice water and egg and stir just until combined (do not overmix) 5. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a large wire cake rack on a jelly roll pan. In a deep Dutch oven, melt vegetable shortening over high heat to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat it to 365°F. Working in batches, dip the vegetables in the batter, shaking off excess batter. Deep-fry until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the wire rack to drain, and keep warm in the oven while frying the rest. If the batter thickens on standing, thin with a little water. Serve the tempura immediately, with the dipping sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Nutritional Facts Serves
VEGETABLE TEMPURA
Use any combination of vegetables for tempura-the list is as long as the vegetables available at your market.
Provided by Tadashi Ono
Yield Serves 4
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Combine the dashi, soy sauce, and mirin in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat. As soon as the dipping sauce comes to a boil, turn off the heat.
- Combine the yolks and water in a bowl, mixing until they're incorporated, then add the ice cubes (the "wet" part of the batter). In another bowl or container, add the flour (the "dry" part of the batter).
- When you're almost ready to cook the tempura, reheat dipping sauce over low heat. Grate the daikon on the coarsest side of a box grater. Squeeze out excess liquid and set aside. Grate the ginger finely and set aside. Keep the sauce warm while you prepare a tempura cooking station.
- To prepare a tempura cooking station, beside your burner, arrange the vegetables, a plate with the ½ cup of cake flour, and the wet and dry parts of the batter. Also, ready a tray lined with paper towels or newspaper to absorb the excess oil from the cooked vegetables, and the tools you'll need: chopsticks, a metal strainer, and a candy thermometer, if you have one. Place a cooking vessel on the burner; use one with a uniform size to heat oil evenly, like a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven (don't use a wok). Add the vegetable oil and sesame oil.
- Heat the oil to 360°F over high heat. When the oil has reached 360°F, prepare to cook the vegetables in batches. Be careful not to overfill the skillet, which will lower the cooking temperature; use, at most, half of the surface area of the oil to cook. While the tempura is cooking, check the oil temperature with a candy thermometer. Regulate the heat to maintain a constant 360°F oil temperature. If the oil is too hot, the tempura will burn; if too low, the tempura will come out soggy and greasy.
- When you're ready to cook the tempura, quickly add the flour (the "dry") to the liquid (the "wet"), in one shot. Hold 4 chopsticks together, the tips pointed down, like you're grabbing a bottle. Stab at the batter with the chopsticks, mashing down again and again to combine the dry and wet parts. Do not stir; you barely want to mix the batter. Mix for about 30 seconds, or until the batter becomes loose and liquidy, with the consistency of heavy cream. It should be lumpy, with visible gobs of dry flour floating in the liquid, and with unmixed flour sticking to the sides of the bowl. Remember, if you overmix the batter, you'll ruin it.
- Lightly dredge the vegetables in the reserved cake flour, then dip into the batter. Immediately lay the vegetables in the hot oil. Working in batches, deep-fry the harder vegetables like sweet potato, carrot, or lotus root first, for about 3 minutes, until the vegetables turn golden brown. Transfer the vegetables to the prepared tray to drain excess oil. Repeat with the other vegetables. Cook softer vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, and pumpkin for about 2 minutes. For shiso leaves, dredge only one side of the leaf with flour, and cook for about 1 minute.
- Serve the vegetable tempura with the grated daikon and ginger on the side of the warmed dipping sauce. When you're ready to eat, add the daikon and ginger to the dipping sauce and dip the tempura into it.
Tips:
- For a crispy tempura batter, make sure the water is ice-cold and the batter is light and airy. Do not overmix the batter, as this will make it tough.
- To prevent the tempura from becoming greasy, drain it on paper towels after frying.
- Serve the tempura hot with your favorite dipping sauce. Some popular choices include ginger sauce, soy sauce, or tentsuyu.
- To make the ginger dipping sauce, simply combine grated ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a little sugar. You can also add a bit of sesame oil or mirin for extra flavor.
- If you don't have tempura flour, you can make your own by combining all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder.
- You can use any type of vegetables for tempura, but some popular choices include broccoli, carrots, zucchini, and sweet potatoes.
- Tempura is a great way to use up leftover vegetables.
- Tempura can be served as an appetizer, main course, or side dish.
Conclusion:
Vegetable tempura is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for any occasion. With a crispy batter and flavorful dipping sauce, tempura is sure to be a hit with everyone. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting way to cook vegetables, give tempura a try!
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