Tempura Recipe (Japanese Deep Fried Vegetables and Shrimp)

Preparing the Vegetables: Remove the stems from the green beans, then slice each green bean into 2 pieces. Cut the stems off of the shiitake mushrooms. Cut the slices of kabocha squash in half. Preparing the Shrimp: Shell the shrimp, leaving the section leading to the tail, and use a bamboo skewer to remove the vein. Remove the sharp part of the shell at the base of the tail by pushing the shell upward and pulling. Cut off the tip of the tail with kitchen scissors, then rinse well with water and wipe dry thoroughly. Make 3 or 4 shallow incisions along the underside of the shrimp. With the belly side facing downward, lightly press down on the shrimp so that it is stretched out straight.

After peeling its skin, grate the daikon radish, then lightly remove any excess moisture. Do the same for the ginger.

Pour mirin into a microwave-safe bowl and heat uncovered in a microwave for 1 minute (600W). Heat dashi broth in a pot over medium heat, then add the mirin from the previous step and Kikkoman Soy Sauce, and bring to a boil.

Pour flour and baking powder into a bowl and mix them together with a fork. Crack the egg into a separate bowl, beat, add cold water, and stir gently with chopsticks. Add in the flour & baking powder mix from the previous step and mix gently so that it does not become sticky.

Dust the vegetables with flour (separate from the ingredients listed), and lightly brush off any excess flour. Pour cooking oil into a pot and heat to 170℃. Drizzle a small amount of batter into the pot to test the oil’s temperature. Coat the flour-dusted vegetables in batter, then put a few pieces into the oil, allowing them to fry for 30 seconds. Then flip each one over in the pot. After allowing the vegetables to fry for 1 to 2 minutes, set those Tempura onto a cooling rack to allow the excess oil to drip off. Coat the flour-dusted shrimps in batter, then put a few pieces into the oil, allowing them to fry for 30 seconds. Then flip each one over in the pot. After frying each shrimp for about 1 to 1.5 minutes, set those shrimp onto a cooling rack to allow the excess oil to drip off.