tempura vegetables with a soy, chilli, and coriander dipping sauce

serves 4

200ml (7fl oz/scant 1 cup) sunflower oil, for frying

For the vegetables 8 spears of tenderstem broccoli

8 baby carrots

8 radishes

12 button mushrooms

For the batter 150g (5½oz/generous 1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

100g (3½oz/¾ cup) cornflour (cornstarch)

1 teaspoon baking powder

200ml (7fl oz/scant 1 cup) ice-cold sparkling water

For the soy, chilli, and coriander dipping sauce 200g (7oz/¾ cup) passata

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes

handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

1 lime

People often consider tempura a difficult dish to create, however, it is in fact incredibly easy, with just a few simple ingredients required. The trick to creating the perfect light yet crispy batter is using sparkling, carbonated water that is ice cold. Use vegetables that need minimal preparation, such as button mushrooms and broccoli, to save time.

Heat the oil in a deep pan over a high heat while you prepare the vegetables.

Trim the end of the broccoli and slice away the top end of the baby carrots. Remove the very top and bottom of the radishes. Brush the mushrooms to ensure they are dirt free.

Now make the batter. In a wide bowl, mix together the flour, cornflour, and baking powder before whisking in the ice-cold sparkling water. Whisk gently until just smooth. Dip in the vegetables and ensure they are evenly coated in batter, shaking off any excess.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully add half the vegetables to the hot oil and cook for 2–3 minutes. Try not to overfill the pan with the vegetables, as they will stick together. When the batter has puffed up, carefully remove the tempura from the pan and drain on kitchen paper (paper towel), then add the rest of the vegetables to the pan, again cooking for 2–3 minutes.

In the meantime, make the dipping sauce. Pour the passata, soy sauce, maple syrup, chilli flakes, and coriander into a bowl. Cut the lime in half and squeeze in the juice through a sieve to stop any pips going into the bowl. Whisk until combined.

Serve the tempura immediately with individual bowls of dipping sauce.

The dipping sauce can be made in advance and refrigerated in a sealed container for up to three days.