CHEAP AND CHEERFUL - TEMPURA, with a yeast-risen batter (vegan)

One of the cheapest, and most satisfying, meals you can make!

(I also make these using a self-raising flour and water batter.)

Ingredients:
75g strong white flour
75g strong wholemeal flour (or you could use all white)
1/4 or less teaspoon of salt
250ml lukewarm water
10g fresh yeast (or 5g dried active yeast)

Plus:
1 Linda McCartney sausage
50g or so of Fry's polony
I large field mushroom

And vegetable oil - 1/2 a centimetre of oil in either a saucepan or a small frying pan.

You don't want the portion sizes too big - this is enough for two meals

Method:
Mix the flours together with the salt, and dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the liquid to the flour and mix into a fairly thick batter. Leave on one side whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

After half an hour or so, it should look like this - but you don't have to wait half an hour. Use the batter when you're ready.

When you're ready, put the pan on a medium heat until a drop of the batter rises immediately to the surface and starts sizzling.

Coat each piece of tempura in the batter and place about 5 or 6 into the hot oil - I find kitchen tongs are best for this. Don't overfill the pan, leave a little space between each item.

Could have got one more piece in there but this was the last batch

Depending on how hot the oil is, these will take one or two minutes each side. You're looking for a golden brown colour. Place the cooked tempura on kitchen paper to drain a little, then move onto your next batch.

I find 10 of these pieces of tempura, along with about 4 curried wedges, is sufficient for me for an evening meal, so there is enough leftover for another day.

Along with 4 curried wedges, this makes a very filling meal.

Reheat the leftovers gently in the frying pan, and they should crisp up nicely.

I've got about a third of the batter leftover, into which I've dropped a handful of sultanas. I shall have these - as fruity pikelets - for tomorrow's breakfast.