Vegan Tempura Batter

VegBear's Note:

This batter is delicious, so fluffy. Mushrooms, sweet potatoes, broccoli, tempeh . . . everything tastes good in it. I used it to batter tempeh for a sweet and sour dish.

• Total Time: 27 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 2-3

Yield: 12.0 pieces ...

• 1 2⁄3; cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 cups ice cold water
• 1 ½ teaspoons japanese ground red chili pepper
• ½ cup white flour (For pre-batter covering of vegetables)
• oil , to cover 2-3 inches in a wok

Directions:

1. Prepare your vegetables, cut into fair size.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and whisk thoroughly.
3. Heat oil in a wok to 375°F, you will know because a wooden spoon dipped in the oil will sizzle.
4. Add just enough water to the batter so it's relatively thick but not too watery, you don't want to mix this into a smooth cream, you want it really chunky to add to the final texture.
5. Coat the vegetable pieces in flour, then dip into the batter, you want to ensure it is covered completely or oil will leak in and make it extremely greasy.
6. Deep fry in batches, until lightly golden brown and crispy (about 2-4 mins).
7. Drain and remove onto a plate with some kitchen paper.