Crispy spelt tempura vegetables get their light, crunchy shell from one simple trick: an ice-cold batter that barely gets mixed.
Spelt flour has a lower gluten strength than regular wheat flour, so it stays light instead of turning gummy once it hits hot oil. Cold sparkling water helps too, keeping the batter thin and full of tiny bubbles.
You can use whatever vegetables sit in your fridge. Sweet potato, zucchini, broccoli, and red onion all hold their shape and cook through in the same 2 to 3 minutes.
The steps stay simple: whisk the batter, dip the vegetables, fry in small batches so the oil temperature stays steady.
Serve straight from the oil with a soy dipping sauce on the side.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Light spelt batter crisps without turning greasy
- Ready in under 30 minutes, start to finish
- Works with whatever vegetables you already have
- Vegan dipping sauce keeps the whole plate plant-based
Ingredient Notes
- spelt flour: Gives the batter a lighter, nuttier bite than regular flour. All-purpose flour works as a swap but fries up a touch lighter.
- cornstarch: Keeps the crust extra crisp. Potato starch works the same way if that’s what you have.
- sparkling water: Cold, fizzy water keeps the batter thin and full of air bubbles. Flat cold water works too, though the coating turns a bit heavier.
- sweet potato: Slice it thin so it cooks through in the same time as the other vegetables.
- sunflower oil: Neutral and holds high heat well. Vegetable or peanut oil work the same way.
- soy sauce: Base for the dipping sauce. Use tamari if you want the sauce itself gluten-free.
Crispy Spelt Vegetable Tempura with a Dipping Sauce
Description
This spelt tempura stays crispy because the batter is cold and barely mixed, letting the coating fry light instead of heavy.
Ingredients
Vegetables
Batter
For Frying
Dipping Sauce
Instructions
- Slice the sweet potato into 5 mm rounds, the zucchini into 1 cm rounds, and cut the broccoli into small florets. Slice the onion into rings. Pat all the vegetables completely dry with a towel.
- Make the dipping sauce: whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, grated ginger, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Pour the sunflower oil into a 3-quart / 2.8L pot or wok to a depth of about 5 cm. Heat over medium heat to 180C / 350F, checking with a thermometer.
- While the oil heats, whisk the spelt flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Set the bowl over a larger bowl filled with ice cubes to keep the batter cold.
- Pour in the ice-cold sparkling water and stir 3 to 4 times with chopsticks. Stop as soon as it comes together. Small lumps are fine, overmixing develops gluten in the spelt flour and turns the coating dense instead of crisp.
- Dust a handful of vegetable pieces lightly with the extra spelt flour, then dip into the batter, letting the excess drip off.
- Lower the pieces into the oil in batches of 5 to 6, without crowding the pot. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until pale gold and crisp.
- Lift out with a spider strainer or slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. Check the oil returns to 180C / 350F before starting the next batch.
- Repeat dusting, dipping, and frying with the remaining vegetables, keeping the batter bowl nestled in the ice cubes throughout.
- Sprinkle the hot tempura with flaky salt. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce and sliced scallion on top.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 588kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 16g25%
- Saturated Fat 2g10%
- Sodium 470mg20%
- Potassium 380mg11%
- Total Carbohydrate 53g18%
- Dietary Fiber 5g20%
- Sugars 4g
- Protein 8g16%
- Vitamin A 4000 IU
- Vitamin C 20 mg
- Calcium 40 mg
- Iron 2 mg
- Vitamin E 2 mg
- Vitamin K 40 mcg
- Thiamin 0.15 mg
- Riboflavin 0.1 mg
- Niacin 2 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.2 mg
- Folate 30 mcg
- Phosphorus 120 mg
- Magnesium 30 mg
- Zinc 1 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Additional Notes
- Keep batter cold; mix it right before frying, not ahead of time.
- Stir batter only 3 to 4 times to avoid a dense coating.
- Fry in batches of 5 to 6 pieces to keep oil temperature steady.
- Pat vegetables fully dry before dipping so batter clings evenly.
