Assorted Tempura and Kakiage

Cut or slice veges, peel shrimps, clean fish if necessary.

Microwave a few minutes hard vegies such as pumpkin and sweet potato.

The key to make lightly crisp tempura is how not to develop gluten in batter. Gluten, the protein found in flour is necessary composite when you make bread dough and noodle, but it is a nuisance to the delicate fries unless you want heavy, chewy tempra.So keep the batter cold with ice and do not mix much. Adding a spoon of baking powder and using beer instead of water also help not to activate gluten.

Do you know kakiage?

Kakiage is a variation of Tempura, use 3 or more different ingredients usually sliced or cut into thin strips or chopped roughly. Probably you do not find Kakiage in a menu of upscale restaurant, but very popular at a casual restaurant and at home.I like to use sweet onion (preferably vidalia onion), carrot, Gobo and chopped shrimps.

First, pour generous amount of frying oil in a large pan and heat.

In a medium sized bowl, pour a cup of cold water (or you can use cold beer partially) and add a couple of cubes of ice and an egg. Mix lightly and add flour into it. You can add a spoon of baking powder here as well. It is fine if the powder is not completely mixed with water.

Check the temperature of oil now. Drop a tiny amount of batter into oil. When it sinks and soon float up, it is the best timing to start frying. If it does not sink, the oil is too hot. If it sinks and does not float up within a few second, you need to heat a few more minutes.

Then dip a piece of ingredient in the batter lightly, and gently put it in oil. Do not touch it until the batter gets solid.

To make Kakiage, pour some batter into a bowl of sliced vegie-shrimp, and sprinkle a spoon of flour into it. Mix gently. Using fingers, pinch a small amount (about 1-2 spoonful, maybe) of Kakiage mixture, and gently put it into oil.

Again, do not touch it until the batter got firm.

When it is fried, place it onto a paper-lined tray.