Vegetable Tempura Recipe
Assorted vegetables deep-fried with our special extra-light batter and served with our own Tempura sauce.
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Ingredients
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Tempura Batter
Vegetables
Tempura Sauce (Tentsuyu)
For Frying & Finishing
Method
Tempura Batter
- 1
Prepare dry mix
Whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder and fine sea salt in a medium bowl until evenly distributed. Sift if desired to remove lumps.
- 2
Chill liquids
Combine 1 cup ice-cold sparkling water with 1 egg yolk in a separate bowl and whisk lightly. Keep the mixture very cold by placing the bowl over another bowl filled with ice or by adding a few ice cubes just before mixing.
- 3
Make batter
Pour the chilled liquid into the dry mix. Using chopsticks or a fork, make just a few light strokes to combine — do not overmix; a few lumps are desirable for an extra-light texture. Add the 4 ice cubes to keep the batter cold until you use it. The batter should be thin enough to coat but still runny (similar to heavy cream). If too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice-cold sparkling water.
Vegetables
- 4
Prepare vegetables
Wash and dry all vegetables thoroughly. Peel the sweet potato and slice into 1/8- to 1/4-inch (3–6 mm) rounds. Slice kabocha into thin wedges (remove seeds). Cut eggplant into 1/4-inch slices; sprinkle cut eggplant with a little salt and pat dry after 5 minutes to remove excess moisture. Trim and blanch green beans or asparagus for 30 seconds then shock in ice water to preserve color; pat dry. Cut red bell pepper into 1/4-inch strips. Keep shiitake whole or halved if large. Separate broccoli into bite-size florets and dry well.
- 5
Light dusting
Place prepared vegetables on a tray. Lightly dust each piece with a tablespoon of extra flour or cornstarch before dipping — this helps the batter adhere and gives a crisper finish.
Frying
- 6
Heat oil
In a heavy-bottomed pot or deep-fryer, heat neutral oil to 340–360°F (170–180°C). Use a thermometer for accuracy. Maintain temperature by frying in small batches.
- 7
Test fry
Drop a small amount of batter into the oil to test. It should sizzle immediately and float, turning pale golden in about 1–1.5 minutes.
- 8
Fry vegetables
Working in small batches (3–6 pieces depending on size), remove the ice cubes from batter and briefly stir to remix. Dip each dusted vegetable piece into the batter, allowing excess to drip off, then gently lower into the hot oil. Fry until batter is pale golden and crisp: thin items (green beans, bell pepper strips) 45–60 seconds; slices and thicker pieces (sweet potato, kabocha, eggplant, broccoli) 1.5–2.5 minutes; mushrooms 1–1.5 minutes. Do not overcrowd — crowding lowers oil temperature and yields soggy tempura.
- 9
Drain and keep warm
Remove tempura with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on a wire rack set over a sheet tray or on paper towels. If serving a large batch, keep finished pieces warm in a single layer in a 200°F (95°C) oven for up to 10–15 minutes while you finish remaining batches. Finish oil as needed to maintain 340–360°F.
- 10
Optional finish
For an extra-crisp exterior, briefly (15–20 seconds) dip each fried piece into a small amount of hotter oil (about 370°F/188°C), then return to the rack to drain.
- 11
Season
Lightly sprinkle fine sea salt or matcha salt over the hot tempura immediately after draining.
Tempura Sauce (Tentsuyu)
- 12
Make sauce
Combine dashi, light soy sauce, mirin and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and let cool to warm (or chill if preferred).
- 13
Serve with condiments
Place the tentsuyu in a small dipping bowl. Serve with grated daikon and a small pinch of grated fresh ginger on the side so diners can mix into their sauce to taste.