Vegetable Tempura

So, I usually love to plan my meals and all, but let's be honest - sometimes you just need to use up what you have in the fridge.  I like to do a sort of weekly clean-out and it doesn't always make for the most impressive of meals.  This weekend I had a bunch of veggie leftovers, so I bought a box of Tempura flour, thawed out some shrimp, and went to town making a pile of Japanese Tempura!  You may had this battered and fried dish at a sushi restaurant before, but homemade is definately just as good, not to mention (from how I figured it out) about 1/8th of the cost. 

**oops!  I snapped this picture after the family had already "dug in!"  Better than nothing, right?

Vegetable and Shrimp Tempura

Assorted vegetables (I used carrots, eggplant, zucchini, sweet potato, red pepper, snap peas, broccoli) cut into pieces (kind of the size you would use in a veggie tray) or thinly sliced (1/4") for carrots, eggplant, sweet potato.
Shrimp (uncooked, peeled, tail-on, thawed)
1 box Tempura batter mix (I got this in the asian section at Safeway for about $2.50)
Canola Oil

*I served these with PC brand Tempura Dipping Sauce.  I diluted it slightly with water.  My husband commented that it had a nice gingery flavour.

Mix tempura flour with amount of water required on box.  Add water if needed to achieve a nice thick but liquid batter good for coating.  Keep this cold (I contained the batter in a bowl and placed it within a larger bowl of ice).  Heat about an inch of oil in a large pot.  Dip veggies and shrimp into batter, letting excess drip off.  Drop into the hot oil.  Do not crowd the pot.  Rotate as they cook and test with a fork after a minute or two to check if they are done.  Pull out with a fork and place on a paper-towel lined plate.  Keep frying until all your batter is used up, or until you have no more veggies and shrimp to dip.  Serve on a large platter with Tempura Sauce for dipping (see *note above).