World Flavors Cookbook

Tempura

Pristine seafood and vegetables coated in an impossibly light, crispy batter and fried to golden perfection — one of Japan's most iconic culinary techniques, requiring precision and restraint.

Cuisine: Japan

Ingredients

• 8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tail on)
• 1 sweet potato, thinly sliced
• 1 eggplant, sliced
• 4 shiso leaves
• Green beans, lotus root, kabocha slices
• Batter: 1 egg yolk + 200ml ice-cold sparkling water + 100g cake flour
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• Tentsuyu dipping sauce: dashi, mirin, soy sauce
• Grated daikon and fresh ginger for serving

Instructions

1. Prepare tentsuyu: simmer 200ml dashi with 50ml mirin and 50ml soy sauce. Cool.
2. Heat oil to 170–180°C. Keep batter ingredients ice-cold.
3. Mix batter just before frying: combine egg yolk and ice water, add flour all at once, stir briefly — lumps are desirable.
4. Dip vegetables first (they cook at lower heat), then shrimp. Fry in small batches 2–3 minutes until pale gold and crispy.
5. Drain on a wire rack. Serve immediately with tentsuyu, grated daikon, and ginger.