Freshly cooked tempura really takes some beating.
Tempura Ingredients
150g of plain flour
Sparkling mineral water
1 pinch of salt
50g of sugar
3 fresh red chillies
150g of mixed vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, broccoli, mange tout)
30ml lemon juice
10 medium prawns
2 teaspoons of vinegar
Method
Season the flour and mix together with the water until you get tthe consistency of thin custard.
Cut the vegetables into thick strips (all the same size to help even cooking) and leave them to the side.
Wash and and de-vein the prawns and leave them aside.
Sweet Chilli Sauce
To make the chilli sauce finely chop the red chilies while at the same time boil the sugar in an equal amount of water to make a syrup. Next add the chillies and vinegar to the syrup and let it cook for 3-4 minutes before removing from the heat. Once cooled add the fresh lemon juice.
Once the batter and sauce is ready heat some vegetable oil in a deep pan. Once hot dip the vegetables and prawns in the batter and fry until golden brown. Remover carefully and drain off the excess oil on some kitchen towel.
To get the best from this dish you need to serve the tempura straight away while still hot. If you leave them too long before serving the batter will lose much of its crunch.
Now that the chilli growing season is well under way and we are all worrying about our young plants I thought i’d draw together a list of some of the accessories I have found useful for getting me through this next stage in the season.
Chilli Focus Pepper Plant food – This is the only plant food we are aware of that is formulated specifically for growiung chillies.
Lady Bird Nest Box – We are all in favour of natural remedies to problems with pests. It is well known that ladybirds are the most effective predator of aphids. These nest boxes provide ladybirds a perfect abode in your garden from which to launch attacks on any aphids eating their way through your chilli plants.
Nemaslug Nematodes – These are natural bacteria that are very effective at controlling slugs over the period of a few weeks. They are the cleanest, most environmentally friendly and effective solution we’ve found so far to control our slug problems.
Plastic 3 Tier Greenhouse – Whether you are taking your first steps into chilli growing (or gardening in general) or just planted too many seeds in March and need some more room these cheap greenhouses are well worth the £20 they cost!
Parasene Greenhouse Heater – We keep saying it but chilli plants need as much heat and light as you can give them. I am always amazed how much difference it makes having my plants in a heated greenhouse at night. Cool night time temperatures really can slow down growth.
The Complete Chilli Pepper Book – This is the “chilli bible”. A comprehensive guide to choosing, growing, preserving and cooking with chillies.
Chilli Jewelery – We often hear from our male readers about their other halves worried that they give more attention to their tender chilli plants than them. Well, with these great chilli bracelets you can redress that balance!
Is there anything that has helped your plants prosper this year? Let us know using the comment form below.
This is our take on the classic Spanish frittata recipe. Adding a few chillies and some spinach really livens up this classic dish.
Frittata Ingredients
6 eggs
2 large potatoes
1 small onion
handful of fresh thyme
1 fresh red chilli chopped
salt and pepper
Method
Par boil the potatoes until they are firm to bite. Just before they are done, add a couple of big handfuls of spinach leaves to the pan or alternatively steam over the top of the pan. As soon as the spinach has wilted, drain and set aside then cube or slice the potatoes once cooled slightly. Also press the spinach with the back of a spoon to remove any excess water.
In a small frying pan heat two tablespoons of olive oil and saute the potatoes for 3-4 minutes until they start to turn golden brown.
Beat the eggs with a fork then add a pinch of salt, pepper and add the eggs, thyme and chillies to the pan then give a quick stir to ensure it is well mixed. Leave on the heat for about 4 minutes until the bottom starts to brown. Next place the pan under a preheated grill for another 4 minutes to ensure the the egg is cooked all the way through.
