Vegetarian Vegetable Tempura

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1
   Step 1

   Gather the sauce ingredients. Combine ¾ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock), 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp mirin, and 2 tsp sugar in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then, lower the heat and let it simmer until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. 2
   Step 2

   Gather the vegetables for the tempura. Slice 1 Japanese sweet potato (Satsumaimo) into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds and soak in water for 15–30 minutes to remove the excess starch. Then, pat dry with paper towels.

3. 3
   Step 3

   Cut ⅛ kabocha squash and 2 inches lotus root (renkon) into slices ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Soak the lotus root in vinegared water (2 cups water + 1 tsp vinegar) for 5 minutes. Pat them dry with paper towels.

4. 4
   Step 4

   Cut 2 king oyster mushrooms (eringi) lengthwise into thin slices. Set aside 1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant for now; prepare it immediately before you deep-fry it. When ready, cut off the stem and calyx, then cut in half lengthwise. Place them cut side down on the cutting board. Leave the top 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the stem end intact so the eggplant stays attached, and cut the rest of it lengthwise into thin slices about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Then, gently press down on the slices to fan them out. Keep the 4 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) whole.

5. 5
   Step 5

   Once you've prepared the ingredients, add about 4 cups neutral oil to a depth of 1½ inches (3 cm) to a deep fryer or pot and preheat it to 320°F (160°C).

6. 6
   Step 6

   While the oil is heating up, prepare the tempura batter. Sift 1 cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) into a large bowl. Add 200 ml iced water to a measuring cup or bowl. Then, add 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell). Whisk the egg and water mixture vigorously and discard the foam on the surface. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour while mixing with chopsticks in a figure 8 pattern for about 15–20 seconds. Do not overmix to avoid activating the wheat gluten; it‘s fine to leave some lumps in the batter. Keep the batter cold at all times by adding 1–2 ice cubes to the batter or by setting the batter bowl in a larger bowl of iced water.

7. 7
   Step 7

   When the oil is heated, deep-fry the sweet potato and lotus root (the root vegetables) at 320°F (160°C) for 3–4 minutes until lightly golden. Dip one piece in the batter, let the excess drip off for 1–2 seconds, and gently place it into the hot oil. Fry in batches and do not crowd the pot. Clean the oil of fried crumbs between batches.

8. 8
   Step 8

   Between batches, use a fine-mesh skimmer to remove the tempura crumbs from the oil, which will burn and turn the oil darker.

9. 9
   Step 9

   Next, raise the oil temperature to 338–356°F (170–180°C) and deep-fry the kabocha, eggplant, and mushrooms for 1–2 minutes. Dip and add one piece at a time. Fry in batches and maintain the target oil temperature.

10. 10
    Step 10

    Finally, deep-fry the shiso leaves for 15–20 seconds. To batter them, sprinkle a bit of sifted all-purpose flour (plain flour) on the back of the leaves and dip only the back of the leaf into the batter. Deep-fry until lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel to remove the excess oil.

11. 11
    Step 11

    Peel and grate 2 inches daikon radish and gently squeeze out some of the liquid. Prepare 3–4 Tbsp of warm tentsuyu in each individual dipping bowl with 1 Tbsp grated daikon per serving on the side. Serve immediately. Mix some grated daikon into the dipping sauce for a refreshing taste and dip the tempura pieces to enjoy.