Avocado and squash tempura with ponzu dipping sauce

Avocado and squash tempura with ponzu dipping sauce

For a speedy vegan starter with a difference, try this crisp and even avocado and squash tempura, served with a homemade ponzu dipping sauce. It’s bound to impress vegetarians, vegans and meat-eaters alike.

Avocado and squash tempura with ponzu dipping sauce

Fan of tempura? If so, you’ll love these tempura courgettes with ponzu dripping sauce.

  • Serves icon Serves 6-8
  • Time icon Hands-on time 20 min

For a speedy vegan starter with a difference, try this crisp and even avocado and squash tempura, served with a homemade ponzu dipping sauce. It’s bound to impress vegetarians, vegans and meat-eaters alike.

Fan of tempura? If so, you’ll love these tempura courgettes with ponzu dripping sauce.

Nutrition: For 8

Calories
216kcals
Fat
12.7g (1.5g saturated)
Protein
1.8g
Carbohydrates
19.1g (5.6g sugars)
Fibre
2.2g
Salt
0.8g

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil for deep frying
  • 50g plain flour
  • 50g cornflour
  • 170g cold cava or soda water
  • 1 large avocado, sliced
  • 350g butternut squash, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
  • Sesame seeds to sprinkle
  • Microherbs or coriander leaves to garnish

For the ponzu sauce

  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
  • Finely grated zest and juice 1 clementine
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • ½ tsp kombu flakes (optional; see Know-how)

Useful to have…

  • Digital probe thermometer
Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the ponzu dressing in a small bowl, then set aside. Half fill a large deep pan with the oil and heat until it reads 190°C on a digital probe thermometer (or heat until a small cube of bread added to the oil turns golden brown in around 30 seconds).
  2. Put the flour, cornflour and a small pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in the cava/soda water with a fork until just combined but still a bit lumpy – the lumps will help give a lighter, bubbly batter.
  3. Drop the sliced veg into the batter, about five pieces at a time. Lift out using 2 forks, then quickly drop the coated veg into the hot oil. Deep-fry for 1-2 minutes until crisp and lightly golden, then remove each batch with a slotted spoon or frying basket. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
  4. Pile the tempura onto a warm platter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and microherbs/coriander leaves. Serve right away, with the ponzu sauce in
    a bowl on the side for dipping.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
216kcals
Fat
12.7g (1.5g saturated)
Protein
1.8g
Carbohydrates
19.1g (5.6g sugars)
Fibre
2.2g
Salt
0.8g

delicious. tips

  1. Kombu is dried sea kelp and is commonly used in Japanese cooking to add
    a savoury umami note to dishes.

  2. Chile’s citrussy sauvignon gris would be worth tracking down. If not, make it a Chilean sauvignon blanc.

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