- For frying:
- Peanut or cold-pressed sunflower or safflower oil
- For batter:
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ cup very cold sparkling water, plus more if necessary
- 1 cup cake or pastry flour, plus more for dredging
- For vegetables:
- 1 medium sweet potato, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 small Japanese eggplant, thinly sliced
- 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
- Broccoli, trimmed and separated into florets
- Snow peas
- Wild mushrooms, such as oyster or maitake, separated into bite-size pieces
- Shishito or Padron peppers
- For serving ideas:
- Tempura Dipping Sauce, for serving
- Granulated sugar, for serving
Ingredients
- Heat 2 inches oil in a wok or heavy pot over medium heat to 350 degrees.
- Mix yolk with water using fat wooden chopsticks.
- Add the flour all at once and mix just slightly. There should be large lumps of flour and a rim of flour dust around the bowl. Over mixing will result in a heavy batter coating. It is best to mix the batter in this amount, and repeat as necessary.
- Prepare ingredients, dry them, and dredge lightly in flour before dipping in batter.
- When oil is hot, dip the vegetables one at a time into batter to coat completely, and then allow excess to drain into bowl.
- Working in batches, about 6 pieces at a time, and using a spider, carefully submerge vegetables in oil. Cook, turning once, until light golden, puffed and cooked through, about 3 minutes for most vegetables. They should be tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife.
- Transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack to drain.
- Serve with dipping sauce. To serve sweet potato tempura for dessert, sprinkle with sugar and serve immediately.
Directions
Tips/Techniques
This vegetable tempura recipe appears in the "Frying" episode of "Martha Stewart's Cooking School." Visit the episode guide to watch a preview and get a cooking tip.
Search or Browse Recipes
Course
Cuisine
Occasion
Theme