Type: Appetizer/Snack

Prep Time: 15 minutes   Cook time: 45 minutes   Total time: 1h

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Tempura

• 1 cup oyster mushroom
• 1 cup sliced pumpkin
• 1 cup sliced eggplant
• 1 cup shrimp
• 5 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 1 egg yolk (cold)
• 1 ½ cup sparkling water (cold)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour + ½ cup for dusting
• ½ cup dried pink oyster mushrooms
• ½ teaspoon salt

Ginger Dipping Sauce

• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• 1 tbs ginger (grated)
• 1 tsp garlic (grated)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

Quick Tip: How to dry mushrooms
Preheat oven to 175 degrees or lowest setting. Arrange mushroom pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake 1 hour. Flip, then continue baking for another hour or until completely dry and crisp. Store in an airtight container for up to three months. They do not require refrigeration.

Ginger dipping sauce and Tempura batter

Ginger dipping sauce:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Pink oyster Tempura batter:

1. Place the dried pink oyster mushrooms into a spice grinder. Blitz the pink oysters on high speed for 1-2 minutes.

The dried pink oyster mushrooms should be a very fine powder to avoid lumpy batter.

2. Steam the vegetables and shrimp in a steamer basket for 2 minutes or until par-cooked, spread on a tray to cool.

3. Combine the egg yolks and sparkling water in a stainless-steel bowl and mix lightly. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, pink oyster mushroom powder and salt.

4. Pour the flour mixture into the egg yolk, sparkling water mixture. Gently stir in the flour mixture using a fork and mix until just combined. The consistency should be fairly thin, just thick enough to coat the vegetables and shrimp.

Batter and Fry

1. Heat oil in a deep pot to 345ºF

2. Quickly dust the vegetables and shrimp with remaining flour.

3. Dip the vegetables and shrimp into the batter and then cook in the oil in small batches for two minutes per batch, until light golden and crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

4. Lightly season the tempura with salt.

5. Serve immediately, while warm and crispy! Serve with the dipping sauce.