📝 About This Recipe
Experience the delicate art of Japanese frying with this ultra-light, lace-like Vegetable Tempura that transforms humble garden produce into a sophisticated vegetarian feast. This recipe focuses on the 'hon-zukuri' style, utilizing ice-cold batter and high-heat precision to achieve a shatteringly crisp exterior and tender, steamed interior. It is a celebration of texture and seasonal freshness, elevated by a savory, umami-rich Tentsuyu dipping sauce.
🥗 Ingredients
The Tentsuyu Dipping Sauce
- 1 cup Dashi stock (Kombu-based for vegetarian)
- 1/4 cup Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
- 1/4 cup Soy sauce (Usukuchi/light soy sauce preferred)
- 1 teaspoon Granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Fresh ginger (finely grated)
- 2 tablespoons Daikon radish (grated and lightly squeezed of excess moisture)
The Vegetables
- 1 medium Sweet potato (peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds)
- 8-10 pieces Broccoli florets (cut into bite-sized trees)
- 6 pieces Shiitake mushrooms (stems removed, caps scored with a cross)
- 4 slices Kabocha squash (cut into thin crescents)
- 8 spears Asparagus (tough ends trimmed)
- 1 large Red bell pepper (cut into 1-inch wide strips)
- 8 slices Lotus root (peeled and sliced thin)
The Tempura Batter
- 1 cup All-purpose flour (sifted and chilled in the freezer for 15 minutes)
- 1 Egg yolk (large, cold)
- 1 cup Sparkling water (ice-cold, carbonated)
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch (for extra crispness)
- 4 cups Neutral oil (Vegetable, canola, or grapeseed for frying)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Prepare the dipping sauce: In a small saucepan, combine dashi, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stir until sugar dissolves, then remove from heat and let cool. Set aside the grated ginger and daikon to be added just before serving.
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2
Prepare the vegetables: Ensure all vegetables are washed and thoroughly dried with paper towels. Excess moisture is the enemy of a crispy batter. Lightly dust the vegetables with a tablespoon of extra flour; this helps the batter cling to the surface.
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3
Heat the oil: Pour the neutral oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or wok. Heat to 340°F (170°C) for root vegetables and 350°F (180°C) for green vegetables. Use a deep-fry thermometer for accuracy.
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4
Make the 'Egg Water': In a medium bowl, gently whisk the cold egg yolk and ice-cold sparkling water together. Remove any foam from the surface.
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5
Mix the batter: Add the sifted flour and cornstarch to the egg water. Using chopsticks, use a 'stabbing' motion to mix for only 10-15 seconds. Do not overmix! Lumps are perfectly fine and actually encouraged for texture; overmixing develops gluten, which makes the batter chewy instead of crispy.
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6
Fry the root vegetables first: Dip the sweet potato and kabocha slices into the batter, let the excess drip off, and carefully slide them into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the batter is pale gold and the vegetable is tender.
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7
Fry the greens: Dip the asparagus and broccoli into the batter. These cook faster, taking about 1-2 minutes. The batter should look like delicate lace.
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8
Maintain oil temperature: Do not crowd the pot. Fry in small batches to prevent the oil temperature from dropping, which leads to greasy tempura.
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9
Create 'Tenkasu': While frying, you can flick extra droplets of batter onto the vegetables in the oil to create more 'crunchy bits' or flower-like textures on the surface.
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10
Drain: Remove vegetables using a slotted spoon or wire skimmer and place them on a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Avoid draining on paper towels as they trap steam and soften the crust.
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11
Clean the oil: Use a fine-mesh strainer to remove any stray bits of fried batter between batches to prevent them from burning and flavoring the oil.
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12
Final touch: Arrange the hot tempura on a platter. Serve immediately with individual small bowls of the dipping sauce, topped with a mound of grated daikon and ginger.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always use ice-cold liquid and chilled flour to prevent gluten development; this is the secret to a shatteringly crisp coating. Never over-mix the batter; if you see streaks of dry flour, that is okay. Keep the oil at a consistent temperature; if it's too low, the veg gets oily; if too high, the batter burns before the veg cooks. For the best results, fry and serve in small batches so the tempura is eaten while whistling hot. If you don't have sparkling water, very cold plain water with a pinch of baking soda works as a substitute.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with a side of hot steamed Japanese short-grain rice or over a bowl of Soba noodles. Pair with a chilled Junmai Ginjo Sake or a crisp Japanese lager like Asahi. A simple side of sunomono (cucumber salad) provides a refreshing acid hit to cut through the fried richness. Offer a small dish of Matcha salt (fine sea salt mixed with green tea powder) for an alternative dry seasoning. End the meal with a light scoop of ginger or black sesame ice cream.