Name: Tempura Vegetables
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 egg, cold and lightly beaten; 1 cup ice-cold water; 1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds; 1 zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds; 1 bell pepper, deseeded and cut into 1-inch squares; 8 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed; 8 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed; 1 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds; 4 cups vegetable oil for frying; 1/2 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine); 1/4 cup dashi stock (or water); 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Instructions

Prepare the vegetables

Wash all vegetables thoroughly. Cut sweet potato, zucchini, and eggplant into 1/4-inch rounds. Cut bell pepper into 1-inch squares. Remove stems from shiitake mushrooms. Trim woody ends from asparagus. Pat all vegetables completely dry with paper towels.
Make the tempura batter

In a large bowl, lightly beat the cold egg. Add the ice-cold water and mix. Sift the flour into the bowl and stir with chopsticks or a fork just until combined. The batter should be lumpy - do not overmix or the tempura will become heavy.
Prepare the dipping sauce

In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, mirin, dashi stock, and grated ginger. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then remove from heat and transfer to small dipping bowls.
Heat the oil

In a large, heavy pot, heat vegetable oil to 350°F (175°C). Use a cooking thermometer to monitor the temperature. The oil should be 2-3 inches deep.
Fry the vegetables

Working in small batches, dip vegetables into the batter, allowing excess to drip off. Carefully place in hot oil and fry until golden and crisp, about 1-2 minutes for soft vegetables and 2-3 minutes for denser vegetables like sweet potato. Do not overcrowd the pot.
Drain and serve

Using a slotted spoon or spider strainer, remove tempura vegetables and place on a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve immediately while hot and crispy.

Tempura Vegetables

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutritional Information