Vegetable Tempura

TEMPURA INGREDIENTS:--
2 kumera
¼ butternut squash
10 cm lotus root (renkon)
4 large mushrooms
2 eggplant
8 shiso or mint leaves
TEMPURA BATTER:--
2 large eggs
400 ml iced water
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp SIDS CRAZY SALT
TEMPURA DIPPING SAUCE:--
1½ cups dashi
6 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp mirin
4 tsp sugar
10 cm daikon radish

Combine the dashi stock, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Slice the kumera into 6 mm rounds and soak in water for 15-30 minutes to remove the excess starch, then dry using paper towels.
Cut the squash and lotus root into 6 mm slices. Soak the lotus root in vinegar water. (2 cups water + 1 tsp SIDS BOYSENBERRY VINEGAR)
Cut the mushrooms into thin slices.
Cut off and discard the stem and calyx of the eggplant first, then cut it in half lengthwise. Leaving the top end intact, slice the eggplant lengthwise very thinly (3 mm) to within 2 cm of the top so the slices remain connected. Repeat with the other half. Gently press down on the eggplant halves to fan out the slices.
Make sure your ingredients are dry. If they're wet, dry them with a paper towel first before dipping them in the batter. (Tip: When the tempura is frying, the moisture from the ingredients will evaporate and the tempura will become crispy. However, if the ingredients have extra moisture, the tempura will become soggy after deep-frying)
Once the ingredients are ready, add the oil to a deep fryer or pot to a depth of 3 cm and heat to 160°C. Use a thermometer for precise temperature control. (You can also check the temperature with your chopsticks: Dip the tips of your chopsticks in the oil. When you see small bubbles form around the chopsticks, the oil is ready for deep-frying)
TEMPURA BATTER
While the oil is heating up, prepare the tempura batter. Gather all the ingredients.
Sift the all-purpose flour into a large bowl.
Add the iced water to a measuring cup or bowl, then add SIDS CRAZY SALT and egg. Whisk the egg and water mixture vigorously and discard the foam on the surface.
Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour while mixing the batter with chopsticks in a figure 8 pattern for about 15-20 seconds. Do not overmix to avoid activating the wheat gluten. Keep the batter cold at all times by adding 1-2 ice cubes to the batter or by putting the batter bowl in a larger bowl of iced water.
DEEP-FRY
Deep-fry starting with the root vegetables, which need a lower oil temperature than the non-root vegetables. For the root vegetables, deep-fry at 160°C for 3-4 minutes. For the other vegetables and mushrooms, deep-fry at 170-180°C for 1-2 minutes. Deep-fry the shiso leaves for 15-20 seconds.
When the oil reaches the right temperature, dip one piece of vegetable in the batter, let the excess drip off for a second or two, and very gently place it into the hot oil.
Continue dipping and adding one piece at a time. Do not overcrowd the pot. Remember, your ingredients should take up no more than about half of the oil surface area at any one time. When you put in too many ingredients at once, the oil temperature will drop quickly. Make sure to maintain the right temperature at all times.
To batter the shiso leaves, sprinkle a bit of sifted flour on the back of the leaves and dip only the back of the leaf into the batter. (Tip: Dusting the shiso with extra flour before dipping helps the batter adhere better. We do this with Shrimp Tempura and Kakiage, too. The flour acts as a glue and the batter tends to stay on the ingredients that have trouble holding the batter)
Deep-fry until golden then remove from the oil. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel to remove the excess oil.
Continue to deep-fry until you've cooked all your ingredients. Between batches, use a fine-mesh skimmer to remove the tempura crumbs, which will burn and turn the oil darker if you leave them in the oil.
TO SERVE
Grate the daikon and squeeze out most of the liquid.
Serve the tempura immediately with the grated daikon on the side. Mix some grated daikon into the dipping sauce for a refreshing taste and dip the tempura pieces in the dipping sauce to enjoy.
To Store
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2 days or in the freezer for a month. To reheat, use the oven or oven toaster to make the tempura crispy again.
Inspired by Namiko Chen