Autumn Seasonal Five-Color Vegetable Tempura
Amazingly Delicious Vegetable Tempura! Autumn-inspired, beautifully colored, and sweet Five-Color Vegetable Tempura.
I made vegetable tempura using seasonal vegetables that are both beautiful in color and delicious. The addition of kabocha squash makes these tempura surprisingly crispy and sweet. Enjoy the delightful crunch and sweetness!
Ingredients- 10 fresh perilla leaves
- 1/2 kabocha squash
- 1 sweet potato
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 carrot
Tempura Batter- 2 cups tempura flour
- 1 cup cold water or ice water
- 2 cups tempura flour
- 1 cup cold water or ice water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, thinly slice the onion into strips about 0.3cm thick. Slicing them too thin can cause them to burn, while too thick might result in uneven cooking. Aim for a consistent thickness.
Step 2
Peel the carrot and then slice it into thin strips, similar in thickness to the onion.
Step 3
Peel the sweet potato and slice it into thin strips. The natural sweetness of the sweet potato will add a wonderful flavor to the tempura.
Step 4
Wash the perilla leaves thoroughly, pat them dry, and cut them into 2-3 pieces. The aromatic perilla leaves will infuse the tempura with a unique and delightful fragrance.
Step 5
Scoop out the seeds from the kabocha squash and slice it into thin strips, about 0.3cm thick. Be careful when slicing the kabocha as it can be quite hard. The sweetness of the kabocha will make the tempura exceptionally tasty.
Step 6
To make the crispy batter, combine 2 cups of tempura flour with 1 cup of cold water or ice water in a bowl. Mix gently with chopsticks until just combined; avoid overmixing, as this can make the tempura tough. Using a good quality tempura flour, like Baekseol, often means you don’t need to add salt or sugar, and it keeps the tempura crispy for longer.
Step 7
Lightly coat the prepared vegetables with 1-2 tablespoons of dry tempura flour (or cornstarch). This helps the batter adhere better and ensures a crispier coating. For convenience, you can place the vegetables and flour in a plastic bag and shake well.
Step 8
Add the flour-coated vegetables to the tempura batter and mix gently until evenly coated. Heat oil to 170-180°C (340-350°F). You can test the oil temperature by dropping a small amount of batter; it should sizzle and float to the surface. Drop spoonfuls of the vegetable mixture into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown and crispy.
Step 9
Once golden and crispy, remove the tempura from the oil and drain on paper towels. While best enjoyed fresh, leftover tempura can be reheated in an air fryer at 180°C (350°F) for 3-5 minutes to regain crispiness. Enjoy your delicious and colorful autumn vegetable tempura!
