Korean-style vegetables or "yache twigim" bear some resemblance to tempura, but the Korean vegetables are cut smaller and mixed together before battering and frying. An appetizer or snack, Korean-style vegetables fall into the category of street food, traditional hot Korean snacks street vendors sell to people on the go. Outside of Korea, this tasty vegetable snack is not typically on restaurant menus, but it's easy enough to make at home. One bite and you'll see why it's worth your while.
Step 1
Fill a 2-qt. saucepan with water and boil.
Step 2
Peel and trim the carrots, potato and sweet potatoes. Cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices and cut each slice into thin strips. Cut the carrots into 1/8-inch by 2-inch strips.
Step 3
Add the cut vegetables to the boiling water. Cover the saucepan and remove it from the heat. Allow the vegetables to sit in the water two to five minutes or until limp. Drain the vegetables and pat them dry with a paper towel. Place them in a large bowl.
Step 4
Cut the zucchini into 1/8-inch by 2-inch strips. Cut the green onions into 2-inch segments. Thinly slice garlic cloves. Add all these to the large bowl of vegetables and mix them well.
Step 5
Sift together flour, cornstarch and salt. Beat the egg with cold water. Whisk the egg and water mixture into the dry ingredients until you have a smooth batter.
Step 6
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Set aside for dipping the cooked vegetables.
Step 7
Heat canola oil in the wok over high heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, a drop of batter will float to the top of the hot oil.
Step 8
Pick up about a third of a cup of the vegetable medley with the tongs and dip them into the batter, allowing excess batter to drip off. Place the batter-dipped pile of vegetables into the hot oil. Add three or four more batter-coated portions of vegetables to the wok.
Step 9
Fry the vegetables about three to five minutes, turning once, until they are lightly browned. Remove the cooked vegetable portions and drain them on paper towels. Continue frying four to five portions at a time until all the vegetables are cooked. Keep cooked vegetables warm in the oven, if desired, until all are fried.
Step 10
Serve the hot vegetables with dipping sauce.
Things You'll Need
- 2-qt. saucepan
- 2 carrots
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 white potato
- Vegetable peeler
- Knife
- Paper towels
- 1 zucchini
- 6 green onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp. salt
- Sifter
- Medium mixing bowl
- 1 beaten egg
- 2 1/2 cups cold water
- Wire whisk
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 tsp. vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. sesame oil
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 6 cups canola oil, or enough for frying
- Wok
- Tongs
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