Tempura Vegetables
Thomas J. Story
This recipe and others like it can be found in "The New Spa Food: How to Make Garden-to-Table Dishes," from the 2022 Wellness Issue.
How to Make It
1
To start, make the batter by whisking together rice flour, baking soda, sea salt, and sparkling water until slightly chunky. Set aside.
2
In a saucepan, combine tamari, rice wine vinegar, and brown sugar, bring to a rolling boil, and reduce by half. Set aside to chill.
3
To make the Fresno aioli, combine mayonnaise, garlic, chile, lime juice, cilantro, and cumin in a blender until smooth. Salt to taste. Set aside.
4
To batter the vegetables, drench them in the tempura, shake off any excess, and carefully drop into deep fryer at 350° F for approx. 1 minute until golden brown.
5
Construct your plate starting with aioli on base, stack your battered vegetables, then drizzle soy glaze on top. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Ingredients
Batter
4 each assorted vegetables cut into 1-inch sticks (eggplant, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, or bell peppers)
1 ½ cups rice flour
1 tsp baking soda
⅓ tsp sea salt
½ cup sparkling water
Soy Glaze
1 ¾ cups tamari
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
Fresno Aioli
2 cups mayonnaise
2 roasted garlic clove
1 Fresno chile, roasted and seeded
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp cilantro, minced
¼ tsp cumin, ground