Rosti tempura-style vegetable fritters recipe
Tempura are a mainstay of Japanese cuisine, appreciated for their lightness and unrivalled crispiness. Unlike classic fritters, tempura batter is very light and airy, allowing the texture and natural flavor of the ingredients to shine through, whether vegetables, seafood or even edible leaves like shiso.
This recipe for tempura-style vegetable fritters, featuring authentic Japanese ingredients, will let you rediscover this iconic dish in all its glory.
- Author
- iRASSHAi
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cooking Time
- 15 minutes
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 carrot (finely julienned)
- 1 zucchini (julienned or cut into thin sticks)
- 5 firm-fleshed potatoes (grated or julienned)
- 100 g special tempura flour (or low-gluten flour)
- 1 egg yolk
- 150 ml ice water (add ice cubes if necessary)
- A pinch of salt
- Approx. 1 liter rice bran oil (or high-temperature neutral vegetable oil)
- Tentsuyu sauce (blend of soy sauce, dashi and mirin)
- Grated daikon radish (optional)
- Lemon wedges
Directions
- Wash all the vegetables, julienne very finely (or grate the potatoes) and prepare about 250 g in total. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. The potatoes must be completely dry to ensure crisp frying.
- Place the vegetables in a bowl. Before adding the prepared dough, sprinkle them with 25 g of sifted flour（outside quantity indicated） and mix so that the flour adheres to the vegetables. Mix coarsely with a baguette or fork: the dough should remain lumpy, which is what creates that light, jagged texture after frying.
- Mix the vegetables in a bowl and add just enough batter to lightly coat them, but not too much. Shape into small patties by hand or with two spoons, pressing lightly so that the shape holds during cooking, like a rösti.
- Heat the oil to 170-180°C in a deep pan or deep fryer. Shape fritters just before dipping into oil (don't overmix).
- Carefully drop the patties into the hot oil in small batches, so as not to drop the temperature. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crisp. Turn over halfway through if necessary.
- Drain on paper towels. Serve piping hot, with a small bowl of tentsuyu sauce, grated daikon radish if desired, and a lemon wedge to squeeze at the last moment.
