Besan-Battered Vegetables (or Chicken or Seafood) with Two Dipping Sauces

Name: Besan-Battered Vegetables (or Chicken or Seafood) with Two Dipping Sauces
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds whole vegetables (like summer or winter squash, onions, green beans, bell pepper, sweet potato, kale leaves, eggplant, or carrots); 8 ounces seafood or chicken (or substitute with more vegetables); Good-quality vegetable oil for deep-frying (like peanut, sunflower, or grapeseed; figure a quart or so); 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill chickpea flour; 1 cup seltzer water, plus more as needed (less than a 12-ounce can); Salt; Creamy Curry and/or Soy Dipping Sauce (see the recipes that follow)

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You don’t need eggs for the batter, either. The carbonation in seltzer brings a light crackle to the crust but water in the batter is fine, too. The key to successful (and safe) deep-frying is an instant-read thermometer; here’s one we recommend. And this story by Mark will help you allay any fears. For a big fry fest – the kind where you stand at the stove while everyone gathers around to snack as soon as the food cools – simply double or triple the recipe.

Units Scale

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds whole vegetables (like summer or winter squash, onions, green beans, bell pepper, sweet potato, kale leaves, eggplant, or carrots)
8 ounces seafood or chicken (or substitute with more vegetables)
Good-quality vegetable oil for deep-frying (like peanut, sunflower, or grapeseed; figure a quart or so)
1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill chickpea flour
1 cup seltzer water, plus more as needed (less than a 12-ounce can)
Salt
Creamy Curry and/or Soy Dipping Sauce (see the recipes that follow)

Instructions

Trim, peel, and seed the vegetables as necessary. Slice the vegetables (and seafood or chicken if using). The pieces should be uniformly thick but can be in a variety of shapes. You should have about 1 1/2 pounds total once everything is prepared. Make one or both of the dipping sauces that follow.
Put 2 to 3 inches oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. (Or use a deep fryer according to manufacturer directions.) The ideal oil temperature for this recipe is 350℉; checking occasionally with an instant-read thermometer will help you monitor and adjust the heat under the pot as you move vegetables in and out of the oil. (If you don’t have a thermometer, follow the cues in Step 4.) Fit a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack or line it with clean towels.
While the oil heats, put 1 cup of the chickpea flour in a medium bowl; scatter the remaining 1/2 cup on a plate for dredging. Sprinkle some salt onto both piles of flour and stir to combine. Whisk 1 cup seltzer into the bowl until a bubbling batter forms. It should be the consistency of thin pancake batter. If not, whisk in more seltzer 1 tablespoon at a time. Roll some of the vegetables in the flour on the plate, shake off the excess, and scoot them to the side so they’re ready to go.
When the oil is ready, start dipping the flour-dusted vegetables in the batter and carefully transfer to the oil. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding. The vegetables should gently sizzle, sink to the bottom for a moment, then rise to the top. (If they stay submerged and don’t bubble much, the temperature is too low; if there’s crazy bubbling and darkening, it’s too hot.)
Cook, gently turning and rotating the vegetables with a slotted spoon or spider until they’re lightly and crisp on the outside and tender inside, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on the thickness and type of vegetable (or protein). As the food finishes, transfer it to the prepared pan to drain. Sprinkle with a little salt if you’d like. Repeat with the remaining vegetables (and then the chicken or seafood if using) and serve right away with the dipping sauce(es).

— Recipe developed by The Bittman Project for Bob’s Red Mill

Recipe variations

Dipping Sauces for Besan-Battered Vegetables (or Meat)

Creamy Curry Sauce
Turn any yogurt – we love coconut yogurt here! – into a quick and versatile dipping, spooning, or spreading sauce. Combine 1 1/2 cups yogurt in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons curry powder (or other similar full-flavored blend), a pinch salt, and the juice from 1/2 lime. Makes 1 1/2 cups. (This sauce keeps in the fridge as long as long as the yogurt is good, or about a week, whichever comes first.)

Soy Dipping Sauce
Restaurant-style dumpling sauce with an extra boost. Mince or grate 1 tablespoon each garlic and ginger and chop 1/4 cup scallions. Put them in a small jar or bowl with 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Add 1/2 cup each soy sauce and warm tap water. Taste and add more water, vinegar, or sugar. Makes 1 1/2 cups. (You can refrigerate leftover sauce for several days.)