Vegetable Tempura

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1. Fill a heavy-bottomed pot with oil so that it is at least 4 inches deep.
2. Heat the oil on medium-high heat until you reach 325 F.
3. While the oil is coming up to temperature, prepare your tempura batter.
4. Crack your egg and whisk to break up the yolk.
5. Stream in your soda water and whisk to combine with the egg.
6. Add the baking powder to the cake flour and sift it into the egg/soda water mixture. Whisk gently, using a fork, until the batter comes together. (The batter should have a consistency similar to a slightly-thin pancake batter.) (Do not overmix)
7. Put the batter in the fridge while you wait for the oil to heat and while you prepare your vegetables for frying by cutting them in desired lengths.
8. Adjust the heat level accordingly in order to maintain an oil temperature as close to 325 F as possible.

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Frying the Vegetables

1. Once the oil has maintained a temperature of 325 F, you will want to set up an assembly line to efficiently fry, without making a mess.
2. Start with your vegetables on the left of the fryer, with the batter between the vegetables and the stove.
3. On the right side of the stove, place a bowl, with tongs/slotted spoon, salt, and a plate or pan lined with paper towels.
4. Before frying, season all your vegetables with a liberal sprinkle of salt.
5. Using tongs, one at a time, take each piece of vegetable and submerge it in the batter so that it is completely coated and then gently transfer it into the oil. (Make sure to gently dip each vegetable into the oil so it does not sink to the bottom and stick.
6. Make sure to only do 5-6 pieces of vegetables at a time and do not over load the fryer.
7. Let each vegetable fry for 2 ½-3 minutes or until they are a light golden-brown and floating. You may need to flip each vegetable to ensure even browning.
8. After 2 ½-3 minutes, gently remove each vegetable from the fryer, and place into the bowl.
9. Season with a sprinkle of salt and transfer to the plate lined with paper towels to dry off the excess oil.
10. Allow the fryer to come back to a temperature of 325 F and repeat until all the vegetables are fried.
11. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.