Assorted Tempura Recipe

Prepare cold ingredients

Place a metal or glass mixing bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice to chill. Keep the water very cold — add ice cubes to the water and remove them after a minute so water stays extremely cold. Crack the egg into a small bowl and lightly beat it.

Mix dry ingredients

Whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, rice flour (if using), baking powder, and salt in the chilled mixing bowl until combined.

Combine batter

Pour the beaten egg into the chilled dry mixture. Add the ice-cold water in two additions and gently fold with chopsticks or a fork just until combined — lumps are fine. Do not overmix; a lumpy, loose batter yields a light, crisp tempura. Keep the batter on ice and use immediately. Add a couple of ice cubes to keep it cold if needed, removing them before dipping.

Prepare shrimp

Pat shrimp very dry with paper towels. Make three shallow diagonal slits on the underside of each shrimp and gently press to straighten the bodies (prevents curling). Lightly season with 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sake (if using), and 1/4 tsp kosher salt; let sit 5 minutes, then pat dry again.

Dust shrimp

Lightly dust each shrimp with a little all-purpose flour (about 1–2 tsp total) before dipping in batter. This helps the batter adhere.

Prepare vegetables

Slice vegetables as noted: sweet potato thin rounds, zucchini rounds or batons, bell pepper strips, trim green beans, remove stems from mushrooms. Pat vegetables dry. If any pieces are thicker (sweet potato), blanch in boiling water for 1–2 minutes then plunge into ice water and dry—this ensures even cooking.

Dust vegetables

Lightly dust each vegetable piece with flour (about 1–2 tsp total) before dipping to help batter adhere.

Heat oil

Pour oil into a heavy pot or deep fryer, filling so there's at least 2–3 inches depth and not more than two-thirds full. Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a small bit of batter into the oil—if it sizzles and browns in about 45–60 seconds, the oil is ready.

Fry in batches

Working in small batches (3–5 pieces at a time so oil temperature doesn't drop), gently dip shrimp or vegetables into the batter, allowing excess to drip off, then carefully lower into hot oil. Maintain oil temperature between 330–360°F (165–180°C). Fry shrimp about 2–3 minutes until batter is pale golden and shrimp are cooked through. Fry most vegetables 2–4 minutes depending on thickness (sweet potato may take 3–4 minutes; green beans and mushrooms 2–3 minutes). Turn pieces once if needed for even browning.

Drain and keep crisp

Remove tempura with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on a wire rack set over a sheet pan or on paper towels. Do not stack pieces. Lightly sprinkle with a pinch of salt while still hot. Keep finished tempura in a single layer in a warm (200°F/93°C) oven for up to 15 minutes if you need to hold a few batches, but serve promptly for best crispness.

Make sauce

Combine 1/2 cup dashi, 1 tablespoon mirin, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a small saucepan. Warm gently over medium heat until just steaming — do not boil hard. Remove from heat. Spoon grated daikon into small dishes and pour sauce over or serve sauce on the side for dipping.

Arrange assorted tempura (shrimp and vegetables) on a platter with lemon wedges if desired and the tentsuyu dipping sauce. Serve immediately so batter remains crisp.