Tempura vegetables

Who knew tempur-ing things could be so easy!! Okay so its not exactly healthy, but it sure is fun!!

Batter:
2 cups plain flour
2 cups of chilled soda water
And that is all!!

I used zucchini (courgette), sweet potato (yam), and red capsicum (red peppers), partly because I wanted the contrasting colours. Cut these into similar sized pieces, that are no more than 1cm thick or else they won't cook properly in the oil.

You can then heat peanut (or regular groundnut) oil in a deep pot to medium high. While this is heating up, make the batter. It is important to only make the batter just before you are ready to use it. To make the batter, pour the soda water into a bowl with the flour and lightly stir until just combined, the lumpier the better! Dip the vegetables into the batter in batches, ensuring they are well coated. Transfer the vegetables into the oil for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden brown. I did a fairly large batch, so kept the cooked ones warm in the oven while cooking the remainder.

Serve immediately, if not before, with your dipping sauce of choice, I used sweet chilli.

Really, really easy and quite a fun starter to make.

I think other ingredients to try would be pumpkin, eggplant (aubergine), zucchini flowers (if you are lucky enough to be able to buy them, Oxford has no such delicacy), or of course, the mars bar!