Tempura Recipe

Place a metal or glass mixing bowl in the refrigerator or over a larger bowl with ice to keep it very cold for several minutes prior to mixing. Cold batter gives the characteristic light, lacy tempura crust.

Crack the large egg into a small bowl and lightly beat it just to combine the yolk and white. Add the egg to the chilled mixing bowl.

Add the ice-cold sparkling water (or very cold water) to the beaten egg. Keep the mixture very cold; add 1–2 ice cubes to the bowl if desired and remove before frying, or keep additional ice in the bowl around the mixing bowl to maintain temperature.

Whisk the all-purpose flour, rice flour (or cornstarch), and 1/2 tsp fine sea salt together in a separate bowl to break up lumps.

Add the dry flour mixture to the egg-and-water mixture in two additions. Using chopsticks or a fork, stir very briefly and lightly just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine. The batter should be cold and slightly thin — about the consistency of heavy cream. Keep the batter chilled until you are ready to fry.

Pat all vegetables and seafood dry with paper towels. Excess surface moisture will cause oil to spatter and make the batter not adhere well.

For shrimp: make 3 shallow slits on the underside of each shrimp (along the belly) to prevent curling when frying. Optionally, lightly score the inner curve and gently press to straighten. Leave tails on for presentation if desired.

Slice sweet potato into 1/4" (6 mm) rounds or slightly thinner for faster cooking. Cut zucchini into 1/4" rounds or batons. Halve mushrooms if large. Trim green beans and cut bell pepper into strips about 2" long.

Lightly dust each piece of vegetable or shrimp with the 1/2 cup of flour just before dipping in batter. Dusting helps the batter adhere and yields a crispier finish. Shake off excess flour.

Pour oil into a heavy, deep pot or deep fryer to reach a depth of 2–3 inches (5–8 cm). Heat the oil to 350–365°F (175–185°C). Use a thermometer for accuracy. If you don’t have a thermometer, test by dropping a small bit of batter — it should sizzle and float up immediately and slowly brown.

Work in small batches to avoid lowering the oil temperature. Keep the batter chilled and do not over-stir it between batches — gentle motion only.

Dip a dusted piece (vegetable or shrimp) into the batter, letting excess drip off. For a lighter, lacey exterior, lightly flick or tap the piece against the side of the bowl to remove large drips.

Gently slide the battered piece into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pot. Fry vegetables about 2–3 minutes depending on thickness (sweet potato may take 3–4 minutes), shrimp about 1.5–2 minutes, until the batter is crisp and pale golden. Turn items once if needed to brown evenly.

Use a spider/skimmer to remove the tempura and drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet or on paper towels for a brief moment to absorb excess oil. For the crispiest result, avoid stacking pieces. If pieces look slightly undercooked but pale, increase oil temp slightly for finishing browning.

Keep finished tempura pieces warm in a low oven (about 200°F / 95°C) on a wire rack while frying remaining batches. Reheat briefly in hot oil for a few seconds if they lose crispness before serving.

Stir the grated daikon into the dipping sauce if using. Pour sauce into small individual dipping bowls.

Arrange tempura on a platter or individual plates. Serve immediately with dipping sauce and lemon wedges on the side. Recommend serving with steamed rice and a light salad or pickles.