Tempura Vegetable Fritters

Combining chopped vegetables and tempura batter to make lacy, feather-light and a slightly see through crispy vegetable fritters. Serve with a small bowl of tempura dipping sauce with finely grated daikon (radish) and ginger.

Preparation: 15 mins Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients (serves 2-3)
° 50g carrot, peeled and cut into short lengths
° 50g white radish, peeled and cut into short lengths
° 6 French beans, tailed and cut into short lengths
° 2 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
° 25g tempura batter mix
° ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
° 50ml ice cold water
° oil, for deep-frying
° 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional), for deep-frying

Tempera Dipping Sauce
° 4 dried kelps in knot
° 150ml water
° 20ml miri or 10ml cooking rice wine
° 25ml shoyu or 35ml light soy sauce
° 20g daikon, peeled, finely grated and squeezed to remove excess liquid
° 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated

Method
1. Place all the julienned vegetables in a bowl. Add the tempera batter mix, salt, water and mixed well.
2. Heat oil and sesame oil in a deep-fryer or wok over high heat or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil brown in few seconds. Drop a heaped tablespoon of the mixture into the hot oil and fry in batches until lightly golden brown.
3. Remove the vegetable fritters with a slotted spoon. Drain well on kitchen paper and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
4. Place the dried kelps and water in a small pot to make vegetarian dashi stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until 100ml stock left in the pot. Stir in mirin, shoyu and reduce the heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve with grated daikon and ginger.

Tip
1. Use fresh batch of oil and ensure that the deep-fryer or wok is filled with one-third full of oil for deep frying.
2. For every 150g of julienned vegetables, use 25g of tempura batter mix and 50ml of ice cold water.
3. Stir in ¼ teaspoon of sugar if light soy sauce is used for the dipping sauce, if desired.
4. Curry powder can be added to the batter, if desired.