Crunchy Vegetables with Mango Yogurt Dip

Snack on this finger food and you'll be on your way to a healthy start.

Serves 4  Prep Time 7 minutes  Cooking Time 7 minutes

1 cup all-purpose flour  
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup ice cold water
1 egg

assorted vegetables (suggested: cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, onion),
          washed, trimmed, and peeled
3 cups oil or vegetable fat for deep-frying  

For the Mango-Yogurt Dip
meat of 1 mango  
1 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt, to taste
a few chopped mint leaves

1  Sift all-purpose flour and cornstarch into a bowl. Add salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Gradually add water and egg into the flour mixture and mix with a whisk. Continue to stir until all lumps have disappeared. Leave the batter to rest. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150ºF.

2  Wash and trim the vegetables, peeling when necessary. Separate the cauliflower and broccoli into florets. Cut the potatoes and carrots into thin slices. Cut the onion into eight slices   

3  Heat oil for deep-frying.  Place a double layer of paper towels on a large plate. Put a few drops of the batter into the oil. If it floats immediately, the oil is hot enough (or at 340ºF).    

4  Stir the batter again. Drop the vegetables into the batter in small portions.  Pick them out and deep-fry the pieces for about 3 minutes, or until they are nice and brown, turning them continuously. Place fried vegetables on paper towels to drain. Keep vegetables hot and crunchy in a 150ºF oven.

5  Once all the vegetables have been deep-fried, remove from paper towels and serve immediately with the mango yogurt dip.

6  Make the dip: In a blender, puree the mango  and combine with yogurt, Dijon mustard, honey,  and turmeric. Season with salt to taste and put in mint leaves.

Photography by Louie Aguinaldo | Food Prep by Tricel Nava of Heny Sison Culinary School | Styling by Angelo Comsti | Tablecloths from Rustan's Department Store