Of all batter‐fried foods, tempura is the lightest and easiest to make. Serve immediately; like many fried foods, it's best eaten standing up, around the stove. But it will hold in a low oven for a few minutes. You'll note from the variations that Japan is not the only country to serve batter‐fried vegetables as a light dish.
Vegetable oil for deep‐frying
1/4 cup of Soy sauce
1 tablespoon of Peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon of Rice or other vinegar
3/2 pounds of To 2 assorted vegetables: broccoli, zucchini, eggplant, winter squash, mushrooms, bell pepper, string beans, etc.
1 Egg yolk
3/2 cups of Ice water
2 cups of All‐purpose flour
1/2 pound of Shrimp, peeled and sliced in half the long way (optional)
Put enough oil to come to a depth of at least 3 to 4 inches in a large, deep saucepan. The broader the saucepan, the more of these you can cook at once, but the more oil you will use. Turn the heat to medium‐high; you want the temperature to be at about 375°F when you start cooking. Combine the next five ingredients and set aside as dipping sauce.
Prepare the vegetables: Peel the broccoli and break it into florets; wash the zucchini and/or eggplant and slice it thin; peel and seed the winter squash and slice it thin; clean the mushrooms, then cut them into quarters if they're large; stem and seed the pepper and cut it into strips; trim and wash the string beans; and so on. Dry all vegetables well.
Combine the egg yolk and ice water in another bowl and beat well. Mix in 1 cup of the flour, just until blended. Don't worry about a few remaining lumps.
One piece at a time, dredge the vegetables and shrimp (if you are using) in the remaining flour, then dip in the batter. Fry each piece until go
