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Japanese vegetable tempura platter with mushrooms, sliced pumpkin, and shiso leaves, served with dipping sauce on rustic wooden table.

Vegetable Tempura

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
This vegetable tempura recipe features pumpkin, shiso leaves, and shiitake mushrooms fried in a light, lacy batter and served with a classic dashi dipping sauce. Ultra-crispy, delicate, and ready in 30 minutes.
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Vegetable Tempura

Ingredients
  

Vegetables and Batter
  • 7 oz sliced pumpkin
  • 10 shiso leaves
  • 8 medium shiitake mushrooms, cross-cut on tops
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ⅓ cup ice water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cup cake flour
Dipping sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons dashi stock
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
  • Grated daikon, optional, for garnish

Method
 

To make shrimp tempura:
  1. Make a cross cut on the top of the shiitake mushroom.
    8 medium shiitake mushrooms
  2. In a bowl, whisk eggs with ice water until blended.
    2 large eggs, 1 ⅓ cup ice water
  3. Gently press the cake flour and salt into the mixture — avoid overmixing to retain lumps (key for crispiness).
    1 ½ cup cake flour, ½ teaspoon salt
  4. Heat cooking oil to 340–350°F (170–180°C).
  5. Lightly dip vegetables in batter to coat.
  6. Fry in batches:
  7. Shiitake mushrooms: ~3 minutes
  8. Shiso leaves: 30 seconds batter-side down, flip and fry for another 10 seconds
    10 shiso leaves
  9. Pumpkin slices: ~2 minutes
    7 oz sliced pumpkin
  10. For extra texture, drizzle bits of batter over while frying ("kakiage-style")
  11. Drain tempura on a wire rack to remove excess oil.
To make dipping sauce:
  1. In a bowl, combine dashi, mirin, and soy sauce.
    2 tablespoons dashi stock, 1 tablespoon mirin, ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
  2. Garnish with grated daikon if desired.
    Grated daikon

Video

Notes

  1. Press, don’t stir the batter:
    Pressing keeps the batter lumpy, resulting light and crispy crust.Stirring builds gluten, making the crust heavy.
  2. Keep the batter ice-cold:
    This prevents gluten formation and boosts crunch.
  3. Strain oil between batches:
    Prevents leftover bits from burning and turning your oil bitter.
  4. Dry veggies before dipping:
    Reduces splatter and helps the batter stick.
  5. Shiso frying tip:
    Longer on the batter side, quick flip — over-frying turns it into a chip.
Storage
  • Best eaten: Fresh. Always.
  • Storage: Airtight container with paper towels, fridge up to 1 day.
  • Reheat: Oven at 375°F / 190°C for a few minutes. Avoid microwaving as it kills the crunch.
  • Serve with: Rice, soba noodles, or just more tempura (Shrimp Tempura)