Yasai Tempura Moriawase (野菜の天ぷら盛り合わせ)

Tempura frightens people because oil makes its own opinions known. It splutters, it darkens, it punishes hesitation. But yasai tempura moriawase, a mixed plate of vegetable tempura, is simpler than its reputation. The vegetables tell you the order: sweet potato and kabocha first, eggplant and shiitake next, shiso at the very end.

The one detail that decides it is the batter. Keep it cold, mix it poorly on purpose, and use it at once. A smooth batter has too much gluten and fries up heavy. A lumpy, cold batter hits the hot oil and sets before it can drink, which is what gives tempura that pale, crisp coat without hiding the vegetable underneath.

Choose vegetables at their 旬 (shun), at their prime, and cut them so they cook quickly. Kabocha should be thin enough to soften before the coating colors. Eggplant wants shallow cuts so the heat can enter and the purple skin stays beautiful. Shiso needs only a breath in the oil. Nothing hidden. This is frying in service of the ingredient, not a cloak thrown over it.

For a meatless table, make the dipping sauce with konbu and dried shiitake dashi, the way the temple kitchens do. That is 本物 (honmono), not a compromise. Set the tempura high on a small sheet of paper, leave it room, and serve the tentsuyu with grated daikon beside it. The plate should arrive calm, not crowded, which is a useful lesson after standing near hot oil.