For gourmets, selecting ingredients based on local availability and what’s in your refrigerator is paramount. Tempura exemplifies this perfectly, with just a few leaves of vegetables, mushrooms, a piece or two of pumpkin, or onion, and shrimp. Simply choose ingredients you feel like eating from your fridge.
Ingredients for Tempura: Flour 100g, Egg 1, Water 150ml, 4-5 leaves of vegetables, mushrooms, and your preferred ingredients in.
Tempura Cooking Steps:
Step 1: For dinner, I chose two ingredients, cabbage and king oyster mushrooms, and used parts of them for pasta and tempura. Wash and drain them.
Step 2: An egg, 100g of flour, 150ml of water, and the container, should be placed in the refrigerator while preparing the ingredients. After washing and draining the ingredients, take them out.
Step 3: Beat the egg and add water.
Step 4: Gradually add flour, leaving some for later, and stir to the consistency shown in the picture.
Step 5: Coat the vegetable leaves with flour on both sides, then dip in the batter.
Step 6: Heat the oil to around 170 degrees, which is about when a drop of batter floats with bubbles emerging (I didn’t capture this state).
Step 7: Do not fry too many at once, only one type of ingredient at a time.
Step 8: Fry the leaves until they reach the shown degree, where the batter is expanded and firm.
Step 9: Different mushrooms will have slightly different frying outcomes. Besides the batter’s state, ensure the ingredients inside are cooked just right, like in hot pot. For king oyster mushrooms, they should contract, with the batter expanded and firm.
Step 10: Here are two finished product pictures. I only chose two ingredients this time, so it took less time.
Step 11: For common tempura, fry leafy vegetables first, followed by mushrooms, tubers, and shrimp, in that order, with the temperature gradually increasing to medium heat at most.
Tempura Sauce Recipe: Mirin and thick soy sauce are boiled, and after boiling, add bonito flakes, and boil again. Strain to remove solids. However, I didn’t make it, and you can also simply use salt and pepper (my favorite) or light soy sauce.
