The Prep Tip To Ensure Your Tempura Veggies Don't Quickly Turn Soggy

Ah, tempura. That tasty Japanese frying method that makes everything turn out light and crispy — except when it doesn't. This is especially true with vegetarian tempura, and if you've ever sunk your teeth into a fried green bean or slice of zucchini only to find that it's soft and mushy, you know how disappointing that can be. How can you avoid this mishap in the future? We asked Chef Koj, a private chef and food writer, how he manages to get his tempura texture right every time. He told us, "One tip is to cut your vegetables early and leave them to dry out, either in the fridge or on the side." 

Why does this work? When you drop a battered vegetable into hot oil, some of its water evaporates, allowing it to absorb more oil. And if the vegetable is too juicy, it can lose a lot of water. Instead of a light, crisp texture, you get a soggy, greasy texture — and nobody wants that! The answer is not to choose dry vegetables, including mushrooms, zucchini, and eggplant slices, which all can be prepared to make wonderful tempura. 

Instead of frying the veggies right away, use Chef Koj's tip of pre-drying food before you batter and fry them. This process will change the structure of the vegetable slice, making it less permeable to oil. 

There are two more factors for perfect frying: the batter and the oil. While you might not think of batter as dough, it's still susceptible to forming overly strong gluten bonds if you overwork it — just as bread dough is. The important thing is to be gentle when you stir it, mixing the ingredients lightly to avoid ruining your tempura batter. Then there's the oil. Make sure you choose the best type of oil for tempura, such as a neutral-flavored one made with sunflower or canola. You also want it to be clean and fresh, free of lingering scents or stale odors. 

After all that work, you don't want your batter to fall off when you drop food in the oil. To keep tempura batter intact, you can sprinkle food with flour before dipping it into the batter. Another trick is to lower pieces gently into the pot with chopsticks, holding them under for a moment until they start to brown. Finally, try to serve it right away, as fried food is best when eaten immediately.