Steps

1. Accurately measure 200g of tempura flour.
   🕒 01:27
2. Pour 340cc of water into a bowl.
   🕒 01:37
3. Add the measured tempura flour in 3 batches, gently dissolving it as if sinking it into the water. [This is the key!] By sinking the flour into the water without stirring, you suppress gluten development and create a crispy batter.
   🕒 01:49
4. Let the tempura batter sit for 10 minutes.
   🕒 03:53
5. Gently tap the floating lumps of flour to dissolve them into the water, creating the tempura batter.
   🕒 04:21
6. Refrigerate the tempura batter until the ingredients are ready. Chilling improves the texture when fried.
   🕒 05:02
7. Cut off the stem of the eggplant, cut it in half lengthwise, then cut it in half again, and make shallow cuts about 2mm wide.
   🕒 05:20
8. Cut off the tough part of the shiitake mushroom stems and make decorative V-shaped cuts.
   🕒 06:08
9. Remove the tough base of the shimeji mushrooms, break them apart by hand from the root, and separate them into bite-sized pieces.
   🕒 06:56
10. Line up the tops of the shishito peppers and pierce them with a bamboo skewer or toothpick to release air inside. [This is the key!] This prevents bursting during frying and avoids the risk of burns.
    🕒 07:14
11. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and slice thinly, about 3mm thick.
    🕒 07:55
12. Pour about 5cm of frying oil from the bottom of the pot and heat to 180℃.
    🕒 08:44
13. Dust the ingredients with flour. Lightly sprinkle a pinch of flour on the vegetables and brush off any excess.
    🕒 09:20
14. Dust only the back of the perilla leaves with flour.
    🕒 10:11
15. Dip about half of the maitake mushrooms into the chilled tempura batter, let excess batter drip off, and add to the 180℃ oil.
    🕒 10:33
16. Dip about 1/3 of the eggplant into the tempura batter and add to the oil.
    🕒 10:46
17. Dip the shimeji mushrooms about halfway into the tempura batter and add to the oil. [This is the key!] Not dipping the entire ingredient into the batter allows the natural color of the ingredients to remain vibrant when fried.
    🕒 10:57
18. Flip the ingredients after about 30 seconds.
    🕒 11:16
19. When the bubbles rising from the ingredients become large and fewer, it indicates that moisture has escaped, and it's time to remove them.
    🕒 11:30
20. Drain the fried tempura well and arrange them in a dedicated container, leaning them against each other. [This is the key!] Stacking tempura will cause the batter to become soggy from the heat, so stand them up.
    🕒 12:04
21. Dip only the back of the shiitake mushrooms into the tempura batter and add to the oil.
    🕒 12:36
22. Dip the pumpkin lightly into the batter and add to the oil.
    🕒 12:56
23. Dip the shishito peppers into the batter and add to the oil.
    🕒 13:03
24. Dip only the back of the perilla leaves into the tempura batter and add to the oil.
    🕒 13:14
25. Flip after about 20 seconds, frying until there is no raw batter remaining.
    🕒 13:26
26. Remove the shishito peppers, which cook quickly, while observing the way the bubbles form.
    🕒 13:43
27. Fry all the tempura and arrange on a plate.
    🕒 14:56