Baked vegetable Tempura Dish Recipes For Supper

By | January 2, 2009
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Vegetable Cooking With Tempura And Baked Pepper

Vegetable Tempura Ingredients:

½ medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 2 inch slices (you should get about 3 slices)
¾ cup cauliflower
½ cup sugar snap peas
¾ cup fresh mushrooms stem removed
½ cup green beans
½ small zucchini, chopped into ¼ inch thick slices
Non-stick cooking spray
½ small red onion, chopped into ½ inch thick slices and separated into rings
¾ cup Japanese style bread crumbs
1/8 cup all purpose flour
1 egg, whole
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon honey
½ cup Dijon style mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt

Method:

1.    For honey mustard sauce:

  • Combine 1 tablespoon honey along with ½ cup Dijon style sauce in a small bowl. Stir well with a spoon.

2.    For vegetables tempura:

  • Lightly coat a medium size rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and leave aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 450 degree Fahrenheit.
  • Break the whole egg in a shallow bowl and lightly beat it with the help of a fork.
  • In another bowl combine bread crumbs and salt together.
  • Toss the vegetables in flour; shake well to remove any excess flour. Dip this flour coated vegetables in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumb mixture, small amounts at a time. Spread this coated vegetable mixture in the prepared baking dish in such a way that it looks in one layer.
  • Drizzle melted butter over the vegetables and place the baking dish in the preheated oven. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the vegetables get a light golden brown color. Stir gently twice in between to ensure even browning and cooking. Serve immediately along with honey mustard sauce. This recipe makes 5 servings.

Health Tip:

  • This is a very healthy low calorie, diabetes friendly recipe as it provides only about 148 calories, and 4 gm fat per serving.
  • Baked vegetable tempura can be definitely a healthy choice when you have to choose between its same deep fried or shallow fried version. The nutrients are retained more in the vegetables when they are baked when compared to other nutrient destructing methods of cooking, especially frying.
  • This recipe also provides 9 gm protein per serving. If you want to further make this recipe rich in protein then you can include low fat tofu or cottage cheese along with the vegetables.
  • To decrease the total fat and cholesterol content of the recipe further, use 2 egg whites instead of whole egg in this recipe to dip the vegetables.

A favorite dish of millions of people who love Japanese food, vegetable tempura is a colorful addition to any meal. Popular among gourmets and chefs as well as diners, this deep fried vegetable platter, served with a dipping sauce, is truly versatile. It can be made with any combination of fresh vegetables. Hot rice and grated radish are often served with the crispy vegetables and sauce. Quick and easy to make, vegetable tempura can also be served as a sushi vegetable tempura roll with rice. The best thing about vegetable tempura is that it can be prepared with left-over vegetables. This appetizing and easy to prepare dish can be served as a main course, appetizer, or as a side-dish.

Vegetable tempura recipes may list zucchini, carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, pumpkin, green beans, lotus roots, bamboo shoots, eggplants, and mushrooms. They have to be cut in thin wedges and dried to get rid of all the water, to avoid spattering when they are put in hot oil.  Depending on the vegetable tempura recipe, the batter in which the vegetables are dipped before being fried may be made differently. Some vegetable tempura batter recipes use all purpose flour, a beaten egg, a tablespoon of sake rice wine and ice cold water. Some chefs add just an egg white to the flour, with a pinch of baking soda and a little corn flour to make the batter light and crisp. 

Ready to mix tempura batter packets are available in Japan and in Asian specialty stores. The trick is to mix the batter lightly, and use ice cold water so that when the vegetable dipped in the cold batter hits the hot oil, it results in a fluffy and crisp tempura.  The batter covered vegetable wedges should be added to the oil a few at a time, to make sure the oil remains hot. Adding too many pieces will reduce the temperature of the oil and make for soggy tempura. Once they are added to the hot oil, the vegetable pieces need to be turned only once, when they turn crisp and golden brown in color. Once removed, the vegetable tempura has to be drained on paper towels to get rid of the oil and reduce, at least in part, the vegetable tempura calories.
Tempura dip recipes for the dipping sauce that is served along with vegetable tempura may or may not use lemon juice. Vegetable broth, mirin, a kind of cooking rice wine, a little MSG, and soy sauce are mixed and boiled to  make the sauce. Grated radish and ginger may be added at the end or served alongside, with a garnish of slivered green onions.

Another variation is the stuffed vegetable tempura in which shrimp paste is smeared on the sliced vegetables before they are dipped in the batter and fried.  Vegetable tempura is a great way of making vegetables appetizing and appealing for the pickiest eaters.  As mentioned earlier, this delicious dish can be used as a side-dish or also works as a great accompaniment to rice.