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Love the crispy goodness of tempura but not the mess and calories of deep-frying? Say hello to air-fried vegetable tempura! It’s the perfect solution for a healthier take on this classic dish. With an air fryer, you’ll achieve that delightful crispy texture without the excess fats and oils. Join us as we explore the world of vegetable tempura made healthy with the magic of air frying. Stay tuned for delicious recipes and tips!
Vegetable Tempura – Made Healthy When Air Fried
Who doesn’t love a good piece of air fry shrimp tempura? Especially if It’s airfryer tempura with a crispy coating, light, and not greasy, it’s the perfect appetizer or side dish. But who wants to deep-fry food at home? Not me! That’s why I discovered air frying as a great way to make tempura without all the mess and calories. Check out my recipe below for how to make your own vegetable tempura using an air fryer. Enjoy!
Vegetables offer a fantastic way to get nutrients into your body, but they sometimes challenge us for healthy preparation options. Steaming, quickly stir-frying, and even raw make good choices. But when you want something a bit different, try our air-fried vegetable tempura. To achieve the perfect crispy texture in your air fryer tempura remove excess batter, and lightly coat the remaining vegetables with a cooking spray before cooking them in the air fry, ensuring an even golden brown finish as the flour mixture transforms into a delightful and flavorful coating.
Air frying offers a simple and healthy solution – cook your vegetable in Air fryers are small appliances that circulate hot air around the food, cooking it quickly and evenly. This results in food that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, without any added fat or oils, unlike deep frying, which can make your food greasy. Air fryer tempura vegetable is a perfect dish to try out this cooking method – it’s quick, easy, and delicious! In this blog post, we’ll teach you how to make vegetable tempura using an air fryer for a healthier twist – tempura airfryer style. Stay tuned for some delicious tempura airfryer recipes !
Ask for Help to Make Your Air Fried Vegetable Tempura More Fun!
You will see from the YouTube video that we often get the whole family involved in food preparation, including trying out traditional tempura recipes. Why not? It makes cooking even more enjoyable. And in doing so, our kids learn to cook the natural way, by cooking alongside Mom. Even better: the preparation work is spread between more people, making it easier on all. What’s that saying? Many hands make the work light. Indeed, I’ve found this true throughout the many years of raising our children.
You will notice in the pictures that we have a set routine and kitchenware we use. I like stainless steel bowls and often use ceramic soup bowls for mixing and dipping. To find these options for your kitchen, visit my product page:
Our Favorite Kitchen Tools and Appliances <Click Here>
Air Fryer Vegetable Tempura
We love tempura, but creating it vegan and in the air fryer makes it so much healthier and quicker. Use your favorite mix of vegetables and add in some pressed tofu or seitan chunks, if you wish. Make sure you make enough as even the pickiest eaters will come back for seconds!
Flax Egg
- 6 tbsp flax meal
- 1 cup water (plain water or seltzer)
Breading
- 3 cups bread crumbs (panko or use crushed cereal, nuts, or nutritional yeast)
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 6 tbsp nutritional yeast
Vegetables
- 1 pound tofu (frozen, thawed, and pressed to remove most of the water.)
- ½ pound green beans (with ends trimmed)
- 1 large onion (sliced)
- 8 ounces mushrooms (cremini work well, or use baby portabella. Cut into halves. Larger mushrooms may be cut into thirds or quarters.)
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- 2 sweet potatoes (cut into thick slices, then cut in half to ensure even cooking.)
Prepare the vegetables
- Prepare your chosen vegetables. Cut into slices or chunks, as you prefer.
- Set your air fryer temperature to 400°F.
Prepare the tempura coating
- Blend the flax seed into the water using a blender or a hand blender. Whisking by hand works, but the blender produces a creamy, thick version that works better. Put into medium bowl that vegetable pieces will fit into.
- In a separate bowl, combine the crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast. Mix well.
Assemble and Cook
- Dip each vegetable piece into the flax egg coating, making sure it is completely coated. Then dredge the piece into the dry coating.
- Place in your air fryer. Make sure the pieces don’t touch.
- Cook for about 20 minutes, checking to make sure they don’t overcook. If you have layers in the basket, shake it part way through to redistribute the pieces.
Note:
It helps to have your vegetables cut and ready before preparing your batter.
Cooking for a large family or friends? Consider making these in batches. Keep them warm and crispy in your oven.
Experiment with other vegetables, too. We like bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, and others.
Also, consider serving with a side bowl of rice to make a more substantial meal. In fact, we enjoy a traditional Japanese salad, too.
Video Credits: @ForktoSpoon
Enjoying a Delightful Air Fried Vegetable Tempura
That’s it! Your tempura vegetables is now ready to eat. Tempura, a Japanese dish, usually consists of seafood or vegetables that are battered and then deep-fried. However, if you’re looking for a healthier alternative, you can try making batter-dipped vegetables in the air fryer. By using hot air to cook your food, you’ll enjoy all the flavors of tempura without all the unhealthy fats. In this post, we’ve provided a recipe for air fry vegetable tempura. We hope you enjoy it! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. Thanks for reading!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can This Air Fryer Veggie Tempura Be Cooked Without the Air Fryer Basket?
If you use a sizeable oven-style air fryer, try using the tray rather than an air fryer basket. We find it works equally well.
Is Air Fryer Tempura Healthy?
Yes, if you make it according to these directions, you will find it to be a pretty healthy meal. Just so you know, however, that your dipping sauces will add to the calories, sugars, and other ingredients.
My Tempura Batter Started Right but Thickened Into More of a Cookie Dough. What Should I Do?
Flour mixture tends to absorb liquids over time. If you make pancakes from scratch, you might notice the same tendency with the flour mixture. The secret is to continue adjusting the consistency by adding more liquid as you go on.
Is It Possible to Use Rice Flour?
Yes, but you must adjust your liquids as rice flour will absorb quite readily.
Why Is an Egg Mixture Used in Vegetable Tempura?
The egg mixture helps the flour mixture adhere to the vegetables and promotes even browning during the air frying process. It also adds a light, airy texture to the tempura coating, enhancing the overall taste and appearance of the dish.
Can I Use Any Type of Vegetables for Air Fryer Tempura Veggies?
Yes, you can use a variety of vegetables such as zucchini, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, and more. Just ensure that the vegetables are cut into evenly sized pieces for even cooking.
How Do I Make No-Egg Tempura Batter?
To make no-egg tempura batter, mix together all-purpose flour, cornstarch or rice flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Gradually add cold water or sparkling water while whisking to form a smooth batter. Adjust the water amount as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Some recipes might call for adding a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice.
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