A taste of our Travels – Peixinhos da horta recipe {Portugal}: Tapas in Spain is legendary but there are some wonderful tapas dishes in Portugal too. Peixinhos da horta is one of our favourites. Green beans with the crispy outside, the bite of the bean in the middle with lashings of garlic mayo and a good squeeze of lemon. These have been made in Portugal for hundreds of years and the recipe was exported to Japan where they started then to use batter in their cooking and became known as tempura. Often made during Lent, when Catholics weren’t eating meat, the name “peixinhos da horta” translates as “fish from the garden”. A substitute for the real thing. They’re like a vegan version of fish and chips and absolutely delicious. They work as a starter, a side dish to a main course or perfect sat with in the garden on a sunny evening with a cold drink, crispy beans dunked in garlicky mayo, reliving all those wonderful summer holidays to Portugal.
Ingredients
- 400 grams of trimmed green beans
- 200g white flour
- 220 ml soya milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Sunflower oil
- Garlic mayonnaise (vegan)
- Wedge of lemon
What to do to make our Peixinhos da horta recipe
Wash the beans and then ensure they are completely dry by patting them dry with kitchen towel.
Fill a shallow pan with oil – enough for the beans to float in.
Heat the oil until it starts shimmering.
While the oil is heating up make your batter. Mix the flour, baking powder and soya milk into a smooth batter.
Take 4-5 beans at a time and dip them in the batter until completely covered.
Lower them in to the oil and cook for around 30 seconds, until golden brown.
Serve with a big pot of garlic vegan mayo and a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the top.
Enjoy while hot.
Why not make them alongside our recipe for piri piri potatoes for a proper Portuguese tapas feast. Check out more of our travel inspired recipes.
Find our recipe card below.
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Ingredients
Method
- Wash the beans and then ensure they are completely dry by patting them dry with kitchen towel.
- Fill a shallow pan with oil – enough for the beans to float in.
- Heat the oil until it starts shimmering.
- While the oil is heating up make your batter – mix the flour, baking powder and soya milk into a smooth batter.
- Take 4-5 beans at a time and dip them in the batter until completely covered.
- Lower them in to the oil and cook for around 30 seconds, until golden brown.
- Serve with a big pot of garlic mayo and a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the top.
