Changes, hints and thoughts for the future:

- I found a few recipes on the web for a tempura dipping sauce but we didn't have any sake (for the good reason that I can't stand the smell or taste of it)...so we just mixed some light soy sauce with water, sugar and ginger...it wasn't too bad. BUT: you can buy tempura dipping sauces, apparently Kikkoman makes a fairly good one.

- S. is the deep-fryer most of the time in our house and he did a fabulous job on these veggies -- especially since he'd never heard of rice flour before today, let alone made tempura before (although I've seen him scarf a lot of it back at sushi restos).

 

 

 

Tempura Vegetables

* Adapted From Food 911

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk
1 cup ice water
1 cup rice flour
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup mushrooms, ends removed
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 zucchini, cut into strips
Any other veggies (eggplant, sweet potato...etc.)
Vegetable oil, enough for frying
1 tablespoon sesame oil, to flavour vegetable oil
1/2 - 1 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting vegetables

Instructions:
1. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat egg yolk and pour in ice water, slightly mix.
2. Add the flour all at once and mix until it is incorporated but be careful not to overwork the mixture. There should still be lumps in the batter.
3. Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil to 375 F in a wok or deep fryer. Flavour with sesame oil. Dry vegetables well.
4. Dust vegetables in flour to soak up remaining moisture, shake off excess. Dip veggies into the batter one by one, dropping six pieces at a time in hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan.
5. Fry until golden brown, turning once, about 3 minutes. To keep the oil clean, skim the small bits of batter that float in the oil between batches.
6. Remove the fried pieces from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with a dipping sauce, before sushi, or alongside Wasabi-Crusted Chicken or Honey Soy Chicken (or just about anything!).