Vegan Japanese Kakiage Tempura (Mixed Vegetable)

This Kakiage Tempura (Mixed Vegetable) is crispy, light, and so simple to make. Served with a delicious soy maple dipping sauce. You’ll love how easy it is to make this Japanese appetizer at home. Join me below as I share my tips on how to make tasty vegan tempura every time.

this recipe

What is Kakiage?

Kakiage is a well known tempura dish in Japan. It translates to tempura made with thinly cut mixed vegetables which have been deep fried in tempura batter. It’s a popular way to use up any left over vegetables that can be found in your fridge. You can eat Kakiage as is or serve it over rice or add them to noodle soup as a topping.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy To Follow Steps. You can make this recipe with ease by following my step by step photos and instructions below. 

• Light Crispy Batter. Using cornstarch and ice cold water helps make for a light batter with a crispy texture.

• Customizable. Feel free to change up the vegetables to what you have in your fridge or what’s in season. 

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Vegetables – I like using sweet potato, rainbow carrots, & snap peas. I love the vibrant colours and different textures that come with this combination of vegetables. You can also substitute thinly sliced onions, regular carrots, green beans, or kabocha squash would all work well. 
  
  
• Shiso Leaves – A Japanese herb that is a cross between the flavours of basil and mint. It adds freshness and a green colour to the tempura. You can substitute basil if you can’t find shiso leaves. 
  
  
• All Purpose Flour – This will form the base of your tempura batter. Some people like using cake flour since it has a low protein content which makes for a less glutinous batter I never have cake flour in my pantry so all purpose flour works well, just be careful not too over mix the batter. 
  
  
• Cornstarch – This will make the tempura crispy and since cornstarch does not contain gluten it will help make the batter light & crisp.
  
  
• Salt – To flavour the batter. 
  
  
• Ice Cold Water – Using ice cold water prevents the development of gluten in the batter which makes for light and crispy tempura.
  
  
• Vegetable Oil – For deep frying, you can use any high smoke point vegetable oil like canola, or peanut oil. 

Step By Step Instructions

*Video tutorial is down below in the recipe card*

1. Peel and thinly slice the vegetables (sweet potato, rainbow carrots, snap peas & shiso leaves). 
2. Add the thinly sliced vegetables to a large bowl.
3. Then toss in all purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt.
4. Stir in the ice cold water and mix until just combine.
5. To a large fry pan add about 1.5 inch layer of vegetable oil. Heat over medium high heat until oil is hot. Oil is ready when wooden chopstick inserted into the hot oil forms tiny bubbles around it.
6. Using a wide spatula, scoop the vegetable mixture and gently add to the hot oil. Fry until crispy and golden brown on both sides about 4-5 mins total.
7. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil
8. Serve kakiage with soy maple dipping sauce (recipe below).

Frequently Asked Questions

LOOKING FOR MORE ASIAN RECIPES:

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• Vegan Carbonara with Udon Noodles

Japanese Kakiage Tempura (Mixed Vegetable)

5 from 1 vote

Author Jazzmin Kaita

This Kakiage Tempura is crispy, light, and so simple to make. Served with a delicious soy maple dipping sauce. You’ll love how easy it is to make this Japanese appetizer at home.

Servings 8 pieces

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

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• ▢ 1 cup sweet potato thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 cup rainbow carrots thinly sliced
• ▢ 1/2 cup snap peas thinly sliced
• ▢ 2 shiso leaves
• ▢ 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 1/4 cup cornstarch
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt
• ▢ 1/3 cup ice cold water
• ▢ Vegetable oil for frying

Soy-Maple Dipping Sauce

• ▢ 1/4 cup soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tbsp maple syrup add more to taste
• ▢ 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• ▢ sriracha/red chili hot sauce to taste

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Instructions

 

• Peel and thinly slice the vegetables (sweet potato, rainbow carrots, snap peas & shiso leaves).
• Add the thinly sliced vegetables to a large bowl.
• Then toss in all purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt.
• Stir in the ice cold water and mix until just combine.
• To a large fry pan add about 1.5 inch layer of vegetable oil. Heat over medium high heat until oil is hot. Oil is ready when wooden chopstick inserted into the hot oil forms tiny bubbles around it.
• Using a wide spatula, scoop the vegetable mixture and gently add to the hot oil. Fry until crispy and golden brown on both sides about 4-5 mins total.
• Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil
• Serve kakiage with soy maple dipping sauce (recipe below). Tempura must be served immediately as it will lose its crispness.
• To make soy maple dipping sauce: In a small bowl mix the soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar and sriracha until combined. Serve with hot tempura.

Video

Notes

• Don’t over mix as this will activate the wheat gluten. Stir gently until vegetables are just combined with the batter. Seeing a few patches of flour is fine. 
• Make sure the temperature of the vegetable oil is hot by testing with a chopstick inserted into the hot oil and you can see tiny bubbles forming. It should ideally be around 350F, If your oil is not hot enough your tempura will be greasy and not as crispy. 
• It’s best to use starchy/low moisture vegetables since vegetables with a lot of moisture will add excess water to the tempura which will make the oil spatter. 
• If you don’t want to make the soy maple dipping sauce you can always just dip in soy sauce.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @veganeverytime or tag #veganeverytime!