Japanese Vegetable Tempura with Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 200ml ice-cold sparkling water
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• Assorted vegetables: 100g sweet potato, 80g zucchini, 70g mushrooms, 60g asparagus
• Vegetable oil for frying (500ml)
• 3 tbsp dashi or vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp grated daikon radish
• Pickled ginger to serve

Method

1. Prepare dipping sauce by combining dashi, mirin, and soy sauce in a small bowl; top with grated daikon.
2. Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces or thin strips.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
4. In another bowl, beat egg and combine with ice-cold sparkling water; gently fold into dry ingredients until lumpy.
5. Heat oil to 170°C; dip vegetable pieces in batter and deep-fry in batches for 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy.
6. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with dipping sauce and pickled ginger.