Crispy & Delicious Vegetable Fritters (Inspired by Yoon’s Stay)
Inspired by Yoon’s Stay, let’s make delicious vegetable fritters at home!
I was inspired to make these vegetable fritters after watching the TV show ‘Yoon’s Stay’. The natural sweetness of the vegetables combined with the crispiness of the batter creates a universally loved flavor. With simple ingredients, you can enjoy a special treat at home. Let’s get started!
Main Ingredients- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 medium carrot
- 1/2 medium onion
- 5-6 perilla leaves (for aromatic flavor)
- A small amount of salad greens (can substitute if perilla leaves are unavailable)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare the vegetables. Peel the onion, cut it in half, and then thinly slice it into strips about 0.5 cm thick. Slicing them to a moderate thickness prevents them from breaking apart during frying.
Step 2
Wash the sweet potato and carrot thoroughly. You can peel them or leave the skin on after washing them very well to remove any pesticide residue. Using a mandoline slicer makes it easy to get uniform strips. If you don’t have one, you can carefully slice them into long, 0.5 cm thick strips with a knife. If they are too thick, they might take longer to cook.
Step 3
Adding perilla leaves will significantly enhance the aroma of your vegetable fritters. Wash the perilla leaves, pat them dry, and then thinly slice them into strips about 0.5 cm thick. If perilla leaves are not available, you can use similar aromatic salad greens like lettuce or crown daisy. If using salad greens, slice them to a similar thickness.
Step 4
In a bowl, combine the sliced onion, sweet potato, carrot, and perilla leaves (or salad greens). Add 1 cup of tempura flour and gently toss to coat the vegetables evenly with the flour. This step helps the vegetable moisture and flour cling together, forming a good base for the batter.
Step 5
Now, let’s make the batter. Gradually add 1/2 cup of water to the floured vegetables while mixing to achieve the desired consistency. If the batter is too watery, it won’t adhere well to the vegetables; if it’s too thick, the coating will be too heavy and the fritters might become soggy. The ideal consistency is when the batter flows slightly when lifted with chopsticks but still lightly coats the vegetables. Personally, I prefer a thinner batter where the vegetables are slightly visible, but if you want extra crispiness, you can increase the amount of tempura flour or make the batter slightly thicker. Feel free to adjust this to your preference.
Step 6
Heat a generous amount of cooking oil in a deep pot or frying pan over medium heat. The oil is ready when a drop of batter immediately floats to the surface and bubbles gently. Carefully add portions of the vegetable mixture into the hot oil. Avoid overcrowding the pan, as this can lower the oil temperature and lead to soggy fritters. For extra crispiness, a double-frying technique works best. First, fry the fritters in medium heat oil for 1-2 minutes until the surface is set. Remove them and let them cool slightly. Then, increase the oil temperature to high heat and fry them quickly for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until golden brown and crispy. Since the vegetables are thinly sliced, they cook quickly, so watch them closely to prevent burning. Remove them as soon as they turn a nice golden hue.
Step 7
Even though I only used one of each main vegetable (sweet potato, carrot, onion), the yield was quite generous. Fritters are often even crispier and tastier after they’ve cooled down a bit. Place the fried fritters on a wire rack or paper towels to drain excess oil. Enjoy them while they are still warm but have cooled slightly.
Step 8
Making these vegetable fritters brings back fond memories of childhood snack stalls. The ingredients are simple, and the process is straightforward, making them a great snack for kids or a simple appetizer at home. Why not try enjoying these crispy vegetable fritters as a special treat tonight?
