Food Recipes Side Dishes Vegetable Side Dishes Japanese Eggplant Tempura 3.0 (2) 4 Reviews Crispy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, these eggplant tempura are a crowd pleaser. Slideshow: Eggplant Recipes By Todd Porter and Diane Cu Todd Porter and Diane Cu F&W Digital Food Awards Winners Website White on Rice Couple Profile Todd Porter and Diane Cu don't just post recipes; they blog about the parties they throw in their Los Angeles garden. They invite readers to join them, not just figuratively but literally. "So many of our friendships started with a hello on Twitter," Cu says. Like the blog, their book, Bountiful, features recipes inspired by their garden and their backgrounds: He grew up on a ranch in Oregon; she was born in Vietnam. "What's funny is, Todd is almost more Asian than me. He cooks with chopsticks and studied Japanese," Cu says. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 1, 2015 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: © Todd Porter & Diane Cu Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 1 pound Japanese eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups cold water 2 cups panko flakes Oil for frying Soy sauce, for dipping Directions In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and water until smooth. Set aside. Place the panko in a bowl and set aside. In a large saucepan heat 2 inches of oil to 350° over medium-high heat. Dip the eggplant in the flour/water mixture. Shake off excess batter. Roll the coated eggplant in the panko until completely coated. Fry the eggplant until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels or a wire rack. Serve With Serve warm with soy sauce for dipping. Originally appeared: September 2015 Rate It Print