Tempura of Purple Broccoli with Nuoc Cham

Crispy Japanese tempura with purple broccoli combined with spicy and aromatic Vietnamese nuoc cham sauce. An ideal appetizer or side dish to rice.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Fish sauce
• 1 pcs Lime
• 1 pcs Bird's eye chili
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 50 g Cornstarch
• 100 g Wheat flour
• 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
• 1 pinch Salt
• 250 ml Sparkling water
• 200 g Purple broccoli
• 1 l Vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Prepare the nuoc cham sauce: in a small bowl, mix fish sauce, lime juice, sliced bird's eye chili, and sugar. Add 75 ml of hot water and mix well. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine cornstarch, wheat flour, sesame seeds (if using), and a pinch of salt.
3. Pour vegetable oil into a deep saucepan so that it fills approximately one-third of its volume. Heat the oil to 180°C (a cube of bread should turn golden in 20 seconds).
4. Quickly pour sparkling water into the dry mixture, stirring carefully but without overworking the batter. Using tongs, dip the broccoli into the batter and carefully lower it into the hot oil.
5. Fry the tempura for 2–3 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel to remove excess oil.
6. Serve the hot tempura with nuoc cham sauce on the side for dipping.