Tempura is a Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. This way of cooking food is swift and adds a crunchy note to your fish or vegetables. It is not as unhealthy as it might sound. When deep frying your food, just makes sure the oil is hot (190C), so the batter seals and cooks as soon as it hits the oil, rather than soaking it up. When cooked, dry the food on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt (seasons the food and absorbs any excess oil).

This might come as a surprise, but tempura is derived from a Portuguese technique of cooking. At the end of 16th century, missionaries and merchants from region of Alentejo in Portugal, who resided in Nagasaki, would use and egg and flour batter, which was then adapted to the lighter Japanese version.