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Vegan Winged Bean Tempura

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Asian, Filipino, Pacific Islander
Keyword appetizer, Asian Cuisine, vegan tempura, wing beaned tempura
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author The Earth Kitchen

Equipment

  • deep frying pan or dutch oven (ideally between 10" - 11" in diameter and at least 3 quarts)
  • small boiling pot
  • mixing bowls (at least 3)
  • tongs and spatulas
  • candy thermometer (optional but highly recommended)
  • collander or strainer
  • cooling rack

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs winged beans also known as sigarilyas or sigidiyas
  • 8 cups (64oz) water
  • 4 cups (33 fl oz.) cooking oil any neutral flavored of your choice
  • ice cubes (optional)

FOR THE BATTER

  • 1 cup (128g) + more for coating all purpose flour sifted
  • 1 can (355 ml) club soda or soda water really cold
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

BLANCHING THE WINGED BEANS (OPTIONAL STEP BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

  • Prepare winged beans. Rinse off thoroughly to remove any excess dirt. Cut each winged beans, equally, in half or break apart.
  • Bring water to a boil in a small pot. Add a pinch of salt to agitate the water to boil. Once water is bubbling, drop in the beans into the water and allow it to boil for 3 minutes.
    As you wait for the beans to boil, prepare a "cold bath" for the beans by grabbing a separate mixing bowl; you can use refrigerated-cold water or drop in a few ice cubes in water. The water HAS TO BE COLD.
  • Turn off heat. Strain out the winged beans from boiling water and immediately transfer onto the cold bath. This process is to shock the beans to keep its color and crispiness throughout the cooking process. Set aside until ready for use.
    Is blanching necessary? No. But it is highly recommended. The beans can easily lose its quality overtime as it cooks. Blanching will enable the beans to taste "fresher" and retain is crispiness - which is ideal for tempura. Skipping the blanching method may give soggier results.

PREPARING THE TEMPURA

  • Preheat your deep frying pan into medium heat and pour the oil to heat up.
  • You will prepare two separate bowls to make the batter. For the first bowl, prepare 5-6 tablespoons of additional flour. This will be your dry ingredient to coat the winged beans with and help absorb any excess liquid so it can stick onto the batter a lot better.
    On the second mixing bowl, combine dry batter ingredients such as the flour, baking powder, salt & pepper. Mix thoroughly. Gradually pour COLD club soda (or soda water) into the mix and stir. Keep adding club soda until it reaches a pancake batter consistency.
    IMPORTANT: Keep your batter cold at all times. If you feel that your batter is not cold enough, add a few cubes of ice into the batter and stir - but don't put too much that it waters down the batter.
    Why should I keep my batter cold? This trick is what gives tempura a light and airy crispiness. You want to make sure your batter is as its coldest when it is ready to fry.
    Can I save my tempura batter for later if I want to chill it? Not if you everything has been mixed. You want to keep your club soda carbonated and baking powder active for frying. You can chill you mixing bowls, spatulas, and ingredients separately (unmixed in the freezer) an hour beforehand.
  • Strain out blanched winged beans out of the cold bath. Pat dry as much as possible. Prepare to start coating the beans in batter. Start by tossing each winged bean with the dry flour ingredient. Toss around until each bean is floured on all sides. Then, dip the bean into the wet batter. Make sure it is evenly coated on each side.
    NOTE: Prepare one at a time as you are frying.
  • Once your oil is ready, drop the battered winged beans into the pan and fry until golden brown. This should take between 3-5 minutes depending on your stove.
    Do not over crowd your pan. You may have to do multiple batches depending on the size of your pan.
    IMPORTANT: Test if the oil is ready fry by dropping a pinch of batter on the hot oil - if it bubbles, it is ready. HOWEVER, the best way to determine is to have a candy thermometer to check the frying temperature. The optimal frying temperature will be between 345°F - 360°F.
  • Remove from the oil and place on a cooling rack to evenly cool down. Using a cooling rack will keep air circulating and help the tempura retain its crispiness. Cooling it down on a flat surface with a paper towel will make the tempura soggy.
    Best served when fresh with a side of vegan sriracha-mayonnaise dip (see notes).

Notes

  • Sriracha mayo dip - mixing vegan mayonnaise and sriracha together. I normally use a 1:2 ratio (dominantly sriracha) but if you are not a fan off heat, a 1:1 ratio will work best. 
  • You may also use the traditional tempura sauce (which can be store bought or homemade). Just be on the lookout for fish ingredients.