Tempura Recipe

Prep vegetables and seafood

Wash and dry all vegetables and seafood thoroughly. Peel and devein shrimp leaving tails intact; make shallow cuts along the underside and lightly press to straighten. Slice sweet potato and kabocha into 1/8–1/4-inch thin slices. Trim green beans or asparagus to uniform lengths. Remove shiitake stems. Pat everything dry with paper towels.

Lightly dust items

Place 1/4 cup flour (and optional 1 tbsp cornstarch) in a shallow bowl. Lightly dust each piece of vegetable and shrimp just before battering; this helps the batter adhere.

Combine 1 cup dashi, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stir until sugar dissolves, then remove from heat and let cool to warm. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with grated daikon if using. Keep warm or at room temperature while frying.

Keep ingredients and tools cold: place the bowl for batter over a larger bowl filled with ice or stir in a few ice cubes to the sparkling water to keep it very cold. In a medium bowl, crack in 1 cold egg and lightly beat it. Add 1 cup ice-cold sparkling water and stir gently to combine.

In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup cake flour, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Make a well in the dry mix and pour in the cold egg-water mixture. Using chopsticks or a fork, mix briefly — just until the dry streaks disappear. Do not overmix; a few lumps are desirable to keep the batter light and airy. Keep the batter bowl on ice and use immediately.

Pour oil into a deep pot or medium-sided pan to a depth of about 2–3 inches (approx. 1 liter). Heat oil to 170–180°C (340–355°F). If you don't have a thermometer, test with a small drop of batter: it should sizzle and float up steadily without browning instantly.

Work in small batches to avoid crowding. Right before frying, re-stir the batter gently. Dust an item with the reserved flour, then dip into the batter to coat lightly; shake off excess batter gently. Carefully lower into the hot oil using chopsticks or a slotted spoon.

Fry shrimp for about 2–3 minutes until batter is crisp and shrimp are cooked through and slightly golden; fry vegetables 1.5–3 minutes depending on thickness (thin green beans/asparagus ~1.5 min, sweet potato and kabocha ~2.5–3 min). Maintain oil temperature between 160–180°C (320–355°F); adjust heat as needed.

Remove tempura with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer and drain on a wire rack set over a sheet pan or on paper towels for a moment to remove excess oil. For extra crispness, place finished pieces on a preheated oven tray in a 100°C (210°F) oven for a few minutes while continuing to fry remaining pieces.

Lightly season tempura with sea salt or flaky salt immediately after frying. Arrange assorted tempura on a platter or individual plates.

Serve hot with tentsuyu dipping sauce and optional grated daikon. Provide small bowls for dipping. Leftover tempura is best eaten immediately; if needed, re-crisp in a hot oven (200°C / 390°F) for 3–5 minutes.