Vegetable Tempura Set with Soy-Dashi Dip

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Restaurant-quality tempura at home with a light, lacy crust and tender vegetables.
• Balanced set meal: crisp tempura, fluffy rice, and a savory soy–dashi dipping sauce.
• Clear timing and temperatures for stress-free frying success.
• Flexible and weeknight-friendly with easy substitutions and make-ahead components.

Grocery List

• Produce: Sweet potato, broccoli, mushrooms (shiitake or cremini), green beans, daikon radish, fresh ginger (optional), scallions (optional), lemon (optional)
• Dairy: None
• Pantry: Japanese short-grain rice, neutral oil (canola/peanut), cake flour, rice flour, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, dashi granules or dashi base, sparkling water

Full Ingredients

Tempura Vegetables

• Sweet potato 1 medium (about 10 oz / 280 g), scrubbed and sliced 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick
• Broccoli florets 8 oz (225 g), cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• Mushrooms 6 oz (170 g) shiitake (stems removed) or cremini, halved if large
• Green beans 6 oz (170 g), trimmed and thoroughly dried

Tempura Batter

• Cake flour 1 cup (120 g), chilled if possible
• Rice flour 1/2 cup (75 g), plus 1/3 cup (40 g) extra for dusting vegetables
• Large egg 1, very cold
• Ice-cold sparkling water 1 1/4 cups (300 ml), plus a little more if needed
• Ice cubes 4–6 (to keep the mixing bowl cold; do not add to the batter)
• Neutral oil (canola or peanut) 2–3 qt (1.9–2.8 L) for frying

Soy–Dashi Dipping Sauce (Tentsuyu)

• Dashi 1 cup (240 ml) — use 1 tsp (4 g) dashi granules dissolved in hot water or prepared from scratch
• Soy sauce 1/4 cup (60 ml)
• Mirin 2 tbsp (30 ml)
• Granulated sugar 1 tsp (4 g)
• Optional: Sake 1 tbsp (15 ml)

Rice & Condiments

• Japanese short-grain rice 1 1/2 cups (300 g)
• Water 1 3/4 cups (420 ml)
• Daikon radish, grated and squeezed of excess liquid, 1 cup (140 g)
• Optional: Fresh ginger, finely grated, 1 tsp (5 g)
• Optional: 1 scallion, thinly sliced; lemon wedges; shichimi togarashi for serving

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cook the rice

Rinse the rice under cold water, swishing with your hand, until the water runs mostly clear (3–4 rinses). Drain well. Combine rice and 1 3/4 cups (420 ml) water in a rice cooker and cook on the regular setting, or in a saucepan: bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, cover, reduce to low, and cook 12 minutes. Remove from heat and rest, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff and keep warm.

Step 2: Make the soy–dashi dipping sauce and prepare condiments

In a small saucepan, combine dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar (plus sake if using). Bring just to a simmer over medium heat, stir to dissolve sugar, and simmer 1–2 minutes. Keep warm over very low heat or transfer to a small serving bowl. Grate the daikon (and ginger, if using), then squeeze gently to remove excess liquid. Set aside.

Step 3: Prep the vegetables

Slice the sweet potato into 1/4 inch (6 mm) rounds. Cut broccoli into bite-size florets. Trim green beans. Wipe mushrooms clean and halve if large. Pat everything very dry with paper towels; moisture causes spattering and a soggy crust.

Step 4: Heat the oil and set up your frying station

Pour 2–3 inches (5–7.5 cm) of neutral oil into a deep, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Heat to 350°F (175°C) over medium heat. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet for draining. Place 1/3 cup (40 g) rice flour in a shallow dish for dusting. Nest your mixing bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice cubes to keep the batter cold.

Step 5: Mix the ultra-cold tempura batter

In the cold mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg with the ice-cold sparkling water. Add cake flour and 1/2 cup (75 g) rice flour. Stir with chopsticks or a fork just 10–12 strokes. The batter should be thin, cold, and a bit lumpy—those lumps create a delicate, airy crust. Keep the bowl over the ice bath and do not overmix.

Step 6: Fry the vegetables in batches

Working in small batches, dust vegetables lightly with rice flour, shaking off excess. Dip a few pieces into the batter, letting excess drip off. Fry 6–8 pieces at a time, maintaining 340–360°F (171–182°C): sweet potato 2–3 minutes, green beans 1 1/2–2 minutes, broccoli 2–2 1/2 minutes, mushrooms 1 1/2–2 minutes. Turn pieces once; they are done when pale golden with a crisp, lacy coating and tiny bubbles subside. Transfer to the rack to drain. Skim stray batter bits between batches to prevent bitterness. Keep cooked tempura warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven if needed.

Step 7: Serve the tempura set

Spoon rice into bowls. Serve tempura immediately with small bowls of warm soy–dashi sauce. Add a spoonful of grated daikon (and ginger, if using) to the sauce just before dipping. Garnish with sliced scallions or a squeeze of lemon if you like. Enjoy at once while everything is light and crisp.

Pro Tips

• Cold is king: chill flour, use sparkling water straight from the fridge, and keep the batter bowl over an ice bath.
• Lumps are good: stir minimally to avoid gluten development and keep the crust delicate.
• Manage oil temperature: fry in small batches and adjust heat to stay near 350°F (175°C).
• Dust first: a light rice-flour dusting helps the batter cling and keeps the crust crisp.
• For extra frilly edges, drizzle a little batter over frying pieces during the first 30 seconds.

Variations

• Gluten-Free: Use 100% rice flour for the batter (3/4 cup rice flour + 1/4 cup potato starch) and tamari instead of soy sauce.
• Vegan: Omit the egg; use an extra 2–3 tbsp sparkling water. For added crispness, replace 1 tbsp water with vodka.
• Vegetable Swap: Try asparagus, kabocha squash (thin slices), carrot batons, or shiso leaves. Adjust frying time slightly to suit thickness.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Tempura is best enjoyed fresh. You can make the dipping sauce up to 3 days ahead; refrigerate and rewarm gently. Vegetables can be prepped and dried up to 1 day ahead; store in a sealed container with paper towels. Batter should be mixed right before frying. Leftover tempura: cool completely on a rack, then refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat on a rack in a 400°F (205°C) oven for 8–10 minutes or in an air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for 5–6 minutes until crisp. To freeze, arrange cooled pieces on a tray, freeze until firm, then bag; reheat from frozen at 400°F (205°C) for 12–15 minutes. Grated daikon can be prepared a few hours ahead; keep well-drained and chilled.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate: 700 kcal; Carbohydrates 98 g; Protein 12 g; Fat 25 g; Fiber 7 g; Sodium 1180 mg. Values will vary based on oil absorption and exact vegetables used.