Onion Rings with Wasabi Dipping Sauce

Onion rings can be a bit heavy and difficult to digest, but oh, we do love them…their richness, the inherent sweetness of the onions. Well, here’s a version of them sure to please–light and crisp with a spicy dipping sauce designed to aid in digesting the oil.  

Makes 4-5 servings

Ingredient List:

Onion ring batter

• 1 cup sprouted whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• pinch sea salt
• 1 tablespoon kuzu, dissolved in a small bit of cold water
• 3/4-1 cup dark beer or sparkling water

Onion rings

• 3-4 large yellow or red onions, peeled, sliced into thin rings
• Avocado, camelina or sunflower oil, for frying

Wasabi dipping sauce

• 1 cup spring or filtered water
• 1 tablespoon organic soy sauce
• juice of 1/4 fresh lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder

Step By Step Instructions:

Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Stir in dissolved kuzu and slowly add beer to create a thick batter (a bit thicker than pancake batter). Set aside for 15 minutes.

Slice onion rings and separate the rings from within each other. Place 3-4 inches oil in a deep saucepan and warm over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot (patterns will form, known as ‘dancing’), dip onion slices in batter to coat and drop them carefully into the hot oil. When they are crisp and golden, remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Place fried onion rings on a baking sheet in a warm oven while frying the balance of the rings.

Make the wasabi dipping sauce by whisking together all the ingredients except the wasabi. Mix the wasabi powder with a tiny bit of water to form a thick paste and place it under a glass cup for 2-3 minutes–to increase the heat. Whisk wasabi paste into the soy mixture to blend.
 
To serve, arrange onion rings on a serving platter with wasabi dip on the side.