Fish and vegetable tempura for your kids' baon

MANILA, Philippines — Your children’s school hours have been extended now that they are in higher grade levels, and you cannot help but send them to school with rice baon.

Somehow, sandwiches, cupcakes and other light snacks can no longer suffice, and they get hungry before they get home. So you adjust your budget and find not just delicious but also nutritious baon that you can prepare and pack for your kids every morning.

Here is one nutritious meal that you can depend on to keep your kids’ energy in school high. It is one of the recipes developed and shared by Ajinomoto Philippines Corp. to help moms with schoolchildren keep afloat on school days.

As delicious and nutritious as it is, this Fish and Vegetable Tempura meal is also budget-friendly at no more than P150.

Fish and Vegetable Tempura

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups carrots, cut into strips

2 cups eggplants, strips

2 cups potatoes, strips

1/4 kg. tilapia fillet, cut into sticks

2 packs Aji-Ginisa Flavor Seasoning Mix (16 grams each)

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

2 tbsps. cornstarch, sifted

1/4 tsp. iodized salt

1 egg, beaten

2 cups cold water

2 cups cooking oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

PROCEDURE:

1.   Season carrots, eggplants, potatoes and tilapia with Aji-Ginisa. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.

2.   Prepare the batter mixture. Combine flour, cornstarch, salt, egg and water. Mix gently until batter is a little lumpy. Set aside.

3.   In a casserole, heat oil. Dip vegetables and fish individually in the batter mixture. Fry the tempura in batches until golden brown and crispy. Drain off excess oil using strainer or colander.

*Tip: Make sure that the batter is cold and the oil is hot to ensure not just golden but really crispy tempura.

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