Tempura Fried Vegetables

This recipe reminds me of the summer I lived with my Uncle in Michigan. I had just started dating Jimmy and we were just getting to know each other. One night my Uncle had a bunch of people over and we had a Fry Party. It was a blast because there was food coming out all night! Friday was my Uncles Birthday so it seemed to be the perfect time to have our own Fry Party! 

Even though most fried food except french fries always kills my stomach when I eat out I have found that if I make it at home with fresh oil the effect is much less. I have not had fried food from a restaurant in over a year and a half but I mean who doesn't love fried food? This is a simple recipe to fry just about anything you really want. The batter is extremely light and it cooks very fast. When I went shopping yesterday I took my time in the produce section deciding which vegetables I wanted to purchase. Also I will tell you I am going to write down the correct recipe but when I made my batter I completely messed up and added way to much water. 2 1/4 cups is WAY different then 2 3/4 cups let me tell you. I ended up just adding more flour until the consistency seemed right. I guess I read it wrong and by the time I realized it was too late. I fixed it though and they still came out delicious. So if you ever have a bad day or week or are just feeling like you need some fried food I suggest using this recipe!!!!

Batter Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 1/4 cups ice water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons Cayenne 

Whisk your dry ingredients together and then add the wet ones. I would suggest using a whisk to mix everything together. If you need to add more flour to get it a little thicker and less watery just do so. Once all ingredients are combined you can place in fridge until you are ready to use it. 

Vegetable Suggestions

Onion

Small Whole Mushrooms

Green Beans

Zucchini

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Directions

You will need to fill a pot with about 2 inches of vegetable oil. If you have a deep fryer I would most defiantly use that. The oil should be heated to about 350 degrees. If you are like me and just used a pot when the oil starts to bubble it is hot enough. 

Dip your vegetables in the batter and one by one place in hot oil. I did each vegetable separately (like all the green beans and then all the mushrooms etc).Be careful that you do not place them together and then they stick together. Let sit in oil for about 1 minute or until they are crispy and flip them about half way through. After you take the vegetables out place them on a paper plate or paper towel to soak up some of the grease. Allow a minute for the oil to reheat as it does loose its temperature each time. Repeat process until all vegetables are done. 

If you need to keep the cooked vegetables warm while the others are still cooking I suggest placing them on a cookie tray and putting them in the oven on warm. They will not get soggy. 

Serve with any type of vegan dipping sauces you would like and enjoy!