From Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner's Japanese Cooking: Contemporary and Traditional (a vegan Japanese cookbook):
Batter: 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached pastry or all-purpose white flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch A pinch of baking soda 1 cup ice water
Important Points: Mix the batter very lightly Have the oil to the proper temperature Never crowd the fryer (I have also noticed it is batter to add the batter to the ice water versus adding the ice water to the batter. Double emphasis on very lightly mixed - leave it half unmixed!!)
Heat the oil to around 350 (I don't have a thermometer, so I heat the oil until a drop of water thrown into the pan pops and crackles immediately. I also just use cheapo vegetable/soybean oil. Use something with a high smoking point). Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and water gently, leaving in some of the lumps and making sure you do not over mix it. Test the oil for frying- a small bit of batter dropped in the oil should sink and rise to the surface very quickly. If the batter sinks and does not rise, or rises very slowly, the oil is not hot enough. If it hardly sinks before sizzling to the surface, it is too hot. Dip the vegetables into the batter one piece at a time and fry immediately. Do not fry any more vegetables at a time than will cover half of the surface of the oil or the temperature may drop (this makes soggy tempura!!). Fry until golden brown, about 1 or 2 minutes. Continue with the rest of the vegetables.
Ten-tsuyu (dipping sauce) 1 1/2 cups konbu dashi (I posted the recipe for this on a recent thread..) 1/2 to 2/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup mirin Grated fresh ginger and/or daikon (optional)
Combine the soy sauce, stock, and mirin, and heat until boiling. Turn down the heat and simmer gently for 1 to 2 minutes.
Batter:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached pastry or all-purpose white flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
A pinch of baking soda
1 cup ice water
Important Points:
Mix the batter very lightly
Have the oil to the proper temperature
Never crowd the fryer
(I have also noticed it is batter to add the batter to the ice water versus adding the ice water to the batter. Double emphasis on very lightly mixed - leave it half unmixed!!)
Heat the oil to around 350 (I don't have a thermometer, so I heat the oil until a drop of water thrown into the pan pops and crackles immediately. I also just use cheapo vegetable/soybean oil. Use something with a high smoking point). Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and water gently, leaving in some of the lumps and making sure you do not over mix it. Test the oil for frying- a small bit of batter dropped in the oil should sink and rise to the surface very quickly. If the batter sinks and does not rise, or rises very slowly, the oil is not hot enough. If it hardly sinks before sizzling to the surface, it is too hot. Dip the vegetables into the batter one piece at a time and fry immediately. Do not fry any more vegetables at a time than will cover half of the surface of the oil or the temperature may drop (this makes soggy tempura!!). Fry until golden brown, about 1 or 2 minutes. Continue with the rest of the vegetables.
Ten-tsuyu (dipping sauce)
1 1/2 cups konbu dashi (I posted the recipe for this on a recent thread..)
1/2 to 2/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
Grated fresh ginger and/or daikon (optional)
Combine the soy sauce, stock, and mirin, and heat until boiling. Turn down the heat and simmer gently for 1 to 2 minutes.
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