Zucchini tempura with bell pepper dip

Preparations – 10 minutes

Heat the sunflower oil to 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a deep frying pan or Dutch oven, with a thick ceramic layer.

Puree a grilled red bell pepper and stir this with 3 tablespoons finely grated grana padano and 2 tablespoons crème fraîche.

Wash the zucchini, remove both ends and cut it into thick pieces – e.g., in quarters and then halve them one more time. 

Finish the tempura of zucchini with bell pepper dip – 20 minutes

Make a smooth tempura batter by mixing the tempura flour with sparkly water. Stir in two tablespoons of finely grated grana padano. Check if the batter is on the thicker side, so you can be sure it will fully coat the zucchini.

Why you should add carbonated water and no tap water: the bubbly water creates a lot of tiny bubbles in the batter. These little holes will get bigger once the batter touches the hot oil. This will eventually create a crispier en more delicious crust.

Dip the zucchini into the tempura batter and then fry it on both sides until it's golden brown. Don’t put too many zucchini sticks into the hot oil at once. Serve with bell pepper dip. Enjoy!