ABX Hi-Fi Hops Vegetable Tempura

By Monica Lo, @sousweed

‍I’m stoked to celebrate @hifihops and @absolutextracts’ #SevenDaysofSnacking with one of my favorite appetizers–vegetable tempura! This tempura batter is made from ABX and Lagunitas’ Hi-Fi Hops ‘Reverb’ Cannabis-Infused Hoppy Sparkling Water with an amped-up charge from 10mg of THC.

A bit goes into the batter while I enjoyed the rest in a chilled glass while frying up my mixed veggie platter. Pro tip: Make sure you have a splatter screen if you’re going to fry under the influence! 😂

This recipe is particularly fun because it reminds me of a DIY tempura buffet I visited in Tokyo where you could batter and deep-fry meat, seafood, and vegetables right at your table. It was such a fun experience and the ingredient options are endless, so grab your favorites! I’ve found that this light, crisp batter works beautifully with pumpkin, broccoli, mushrooms, lotus root, and green beans.

ABX Hi-Fi Hops Reverb Vegetable Tempura

Serves 6

Vegetable Ingredients

• Vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 medium broccoli, cut into florets
• 1/2 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/2 delicata squash, cut into rings
• 1/2 zucchini, cut into rounds
• 1/3 cup string beans
• 5 lotus root rounds, steamed, optional
• 1 package beech or enoki mushrooms

Batter Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp sea salt, plus extra for seasoning  
• 2 ice cubes
• 1 large egg, whisked
• 3/4 cup ABX Hi-Fi Hops Reverb

Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp sriracha
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Toasted sesame seeds, optional

Directions

1. Fill a large, heavy bottomed pot or wok 1/3 full with vegetable or canola oil and heat on medium-high until the thermometer reads 375ºF. Prepare all vegetables on a platter and set aside.
2. While the oil is heating up, sift flour, cornstarch, and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, add ice cubes, whisked egg, and ABX Hi-Fi Hops Reverb. Stir until combined. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with chopsticks until just combined-chunks are ok. Be careful not to stir for too long as we want to avoid gluten formation.
3. Add vegetables into the batter and toss to coat using your chopsticks. Pick up a piece, allowing excess batter to drip, before gently dropping into the oil. Do not overcrowd the pot, I fry 3-4 pieces at a time, making sure the temperature stays constant at 350ºF. Each vegetable tempura should take about 2-3 minutes to fry.
4. Remove and allow to drain on a tray lined with paper towels. Season with salt while hot. Continue until all vegetables are fried.
5. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
6. Enjoy vegetable tempura with a chilled glass of ABX Hi-Fi Hops Reverb!