Best Benihana Vegetable Tempura Recipes

VEGETABLE TEMPURA

Steps:

• Whisk light soy sauce, mirin, and dashi granules together in a bowl for the sauce; set aside.
• Whisk water and egg yolks together in a bowl until well combined. Sift in flour and whisk until just combined; batter will be a bit lumpy.
• Heat vegetable oil in a wok or a deep saucepan until very hot, but not smoking.
• Dip sweet potato, onion, bell pepper, green beans, and shiitake mushrooms one by one into the batter and transfer immediately into the hot oil. Deep-fry tempura in batches, making sure to not overcrowd the wok, until batter is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from oil and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat until all vegetables have been used. Serve hot with dipping sauce.

VEGETABLE TEMPURA

Steps:

• Heat two or three inches (more is better) of oil in a deep-fryer or deep saucepan. The oil is ready when it reaches 350 degrees, or when a pinch of flour sizzles immediately. Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup ice; let sit for a minute, then measure 1 cup water from this. Beat lightly with the flour and egg yolks; the batter should be lumpy.
• Dredge the vegetables very lightly in the flour, tapping to remove excess. Then dip them in the batter and immediately put in the oil. You can cook 6 to 8 pieces at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, no more. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately, with lemon wedges and soy sauce if you like.

BENIHANA VEGETABLE TEMPURA

Steps:

• Decide which kind of Tempura you are going to do and then prepare vegetables for frying.
• In a large mixing bowl, break the eggs into 1 cup ice water. Whisk quickly but not thoroughly. Add the rice flour all at once; mix until the batter is loosely combined. (If overmixed, the batter will be too heavy when deep-fried.).
• Heat 4 Cups of peanut oil on high in a wok or deep-fryer until almost smoking. Make the tempura in small batches.
• Toss the vegetables in a bowl with the additional flour. Dip vegetable in batter and deep-fry.
• NOTE - If the carrots are grated, take them up in clumps and dip them in the flour. You will then dip them in the batter to deep-fry them in clumps.
• Drain briefly on rack or paper towels, then serve immediately with warmed tempura dipping sauce mixed with grated ginger, served in individual bowls. (Tempura does not fry to a 'golden brown'. It will be almost a pasty white when done.).

BENIHANA SEAFOOD TEMPURA

Steps:

• Soak the shiitake mushrooms in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes. Remove stems, then dry the mushroom caps with paper toweling. Slice each cap with an 'X'. Set the mushrooms aside.
• Cut the squid into either 1/2-inch rings or 1 x 3-inch sheets. (If the latter, lattice-cut the squid meat to prevent curling in the fryer.) Dry and set aside.
• Peel the carrot and shred with a grater. Set aside. Cut the green pepper into 1/4-inch slices. Remove seeds from inside the rings. Set aside. Slice the potato into 1/4-inch slices. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, break the eggs into 1 cup ice water. Whisk quickly but not thoroughly. Add the rice flour all at once; mix until the batter is loosely combined. (If overmixed, the batter will be too heavy when deep-fried.).
• Heat 4 Cups of peanut oil on high in a wok or deep-fryer until almost smoking. Make the tempura in small batches. Drain briefly on rack or paper towels, then serve immediately with warmed tempura dipping sauce mixed with grated ginger, served in individual bowls. (Tempura does not fry to a 'golden brown'. It will be almost a pasty white when done.).
• NOTE - The shredded carrots are most easily deep-fried by spooning an amount into the batter and then sliding the battered carrots into the deep-fryer.

VEGETABLE TEMPURA

Steps:

• Combine the dashi, soy sauce, and mirin in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat. As soon as the dipping sauce comes to a boil, turn off the heat.
• Combine the yolks and water in a bowl, mixing until they're incorporated, then add the ice cubes (the "wet" part of the batter). In another bowl or container, add the flour (the "dry" part of the batter).
• When you're almost ready to cook the tempura, reheat dipping sauce over low heat. Grate the daikon on the coarsest side of a box grater. Squeeze out excess liquid and set aside. Grate the ginger finely and set aside. Keep the sauce warm while you prepare a tempura cooking station.
• To prepare a tempura cooking station, beside your burner, arrange the vegetables, a plate with the ½ cup of cake flour, and the wet and dry parts of the batter. Also, ready a tray lined with paper towels or newspaper to absorb the excess oil from the cooked vegetables, and the tools you'll need: chopsticks, a metal strainer, and a candy thermometer, if you have one. Place a cooking vessel on the burner; use one with a uniform size to heat oil evenly, like a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven (don't use a wok). Add the vegetable oil and sesame oil.
• Heat the oil to 360°F over high heat. When the oil has reached 360°F, prepare to cook the vegetables in batches. Be careful not to overfill the skillet, which will lower the cooking temperature; use, at most, half of the surface area of the oil to cook. While the tempura is cooking, check the oil temperature with a candy thermometer. Regulate the heat to maintain a constant 360°F oil temperature. If the oil is too hot, the tempura will burn; if too low, the tempura will come out soggy and greasy.
• When you're ready to cook the tempura, quickly add the flour (the "dry") to the liquid (the "wet"), in one shot. Hold 4 chopsticks together, the tips pointed down, like you're grabbing a bottle. Stab at the batter with the chopsticks, mashing down again and again to combine the dry and wet parts. Do not stir; you barely want to mix the batter. Mix for about 30 seconds, or until the batter becomes loose and liquidy, with the consistency of heavy cream. It should be lumpy, with visible gobs of dry flour floating in the liquid, and with unmixed flour sticking to the sides of the bowl. Remember, if you overmix the batter, you'll ruin it.
• Lightly dredge the vegetables in the reserved cake flour, then dip into the batter. Immediately lay the vegetables in the hot oil. Working in batches, deep-fry the harder vegetables like sweet potato, carrot, or lotus root first, for about 3 minutes, until the vegetables turn golden brown. Transfer the vegetables to the prepared tray to drain excess oil. Repeat with the other vegetables. Cook softer vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, and pumpkin for about 2 minutes. For shiso leaves, dredge only one side of the leaf with flour, and cook for about 1 minute.
• Serve the vegetable tempura with the grated daikon and ginger on the side of the warmed dipping sauce. When you're ready to eat, add the daikon and ginger to the dipping sauce and dip the tempura into it.

VEGETABLE TEMPURA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the club soda and whisk until the batter is smooth. If the batter is too thick, add an ice cube to help thin it out.
• Cut the firm vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes into 1/8 inch slices. For softer vegetables, 1/4 inch will do.
• Pour enough oil into a medium saucepan to measure about 2 inches. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the pan and heat the oil to 350°F Line a plate with a double layer of paper towels.
• Working in batches, drop a few slices of vegetables into the batter. Stir gently to coat. Using tongs or chopsticks, lift the food from the batter, allowing excess batter to drip back into the bowl. Carefully add a few pieces to the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Turn vegetables occasionally and fry until lightly golden on all sides, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Let temperature heat back up to 350F in between batches. Transfer tempura to paper towels. Season with salt and serve with ponzu sauce.

BENIHANA TEMPURA DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the dashi. Reduce heat to a simmer. Then add the mirin, rice wine and soy sauce. Stir gently until thoroughly blended.
• Cover the pan and remove from heat. Ladle out into individual portions (about 1/4 cup) and serve with a portion of grated ginger.

BENIHANA VEGETABLE MIX SAUTE

Steps:

• Pour all Teriyaki sauce ingredients in a pan. Stir the mixture well.
• Put the pan on low heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and cool the mixture.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan or flat grill until very hot and stir-fry the first four vegetables for 2 minutes.
• Add spring onions, bean sprouts, and mushrooms and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients, seasonings, and Teriyaki Sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute.
• Serve and enjoy.

VEGETABLE TEMPURA

Steps:

• Mix the salt, flour, and water together until smooth and no lumps. (Use cold because it helps the batter/veggies absorb less oil).
• Place in freezer.
• Prepare vegetables by peeling and slicing.
• Pour the oil into a pan and heat over medium heat.
• When oil is hot, dip veggies in batter then oil.
• Fry until lightly browned.
• Do small amounts at a time. It will be less messy and much easier to manage.