Vegetable tempura with ginger & lemongrass dipping sauce

Ingredients

For the dipping sauce

• 50ml rice vinegar
• 50ml mirin
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp grated fresh ginger
• ½ lemongrass bulb, minced
• 1 star anise
• ½ medium red chilli, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 lime

For the vegetable tempura

• 100g plain flour
• 100g cornflour
• 1 litre sunflower oil
• 1 egg yolk
• 200ml chilled spring water
• Assorted seasonal vegetables, sliced

Method

Put the rice vinegar and mirin into a small pan with 50ml water. Add the sugar, ginger, lemongrass and star anise and heat for a few mins, just until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool for a few mins. Add the sliced chillies, the soy sauce and lime juice to taste.

For the vegetable tempura, sift the plain flour with the cornflour and 1 tsp salt into a medium bowl. Sit that on top of lots of ice in a large bowl (or sink). Heat the sunflower oil to 180C. Once at temperature, beat an egg yolk and the chilled spring water into the flour bowl. Dip each piece of vegetable in that batter and transfer to the hot oil. Fry each batch for 2 mins, until crisped and golden. Take care not to crowd the pan. Serve straightaway with the dipping sauce.

Image: Kim Lightbody