Tempura Rice Bowl (Tempura)

For dipping and serving:

• 1 sheet dried kombu + 200ml water  for dashi stock 
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 4 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice

For frying:

• 1 sweet potato (peeled and sliced into thin rounds)
• 1-2 medium sweet white onions (thick slices)
• 2 small heads of broccoli (torn into small individual florets)
• 12 large prawns (peeled and deveined, with the tail on)
• 1 Lotus Root (thinly sliced) 
• Vegetable oil 

The Batter

• 200-250mls ice soda water
• 250g rice flour
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 2 egg yolks
• Pinch salt

Soak the kombu in the water  and allow it to steep for 2 -3 hours. Next, prep the veg, and pat them dry. Prep the prawns by breaking the heats off, peeling and deveining.  Mix the dipping sauce ingredients and prepare the rice. Next, make the batter by stirring together the ice water, rice flour, and egg yolks.

Fill a wok with oil halfway, over a medium-high heat. When wooden chopsticks sizzle vigorously when dipped into the oil, you’re ready to fry.

To fry, swirl the vegetables or prawns in the batter one at a time, and lower it gently into the batter. Fry everything in small batches for around a minute and a half. When the batter has turned lightly golden, it’s ready to be transferred to a wire rack or plate lined with a kitchen towel. 

Serve

To assemble the tempura bowls, spoon a base of steamed rice into each bowl. Top  with vegetables and a few prawns per bowl. Serve with the dipping sauce.