Ingredients
- A few handfuls of edible flowers washed or inspected and trimmed of any debris
- 3 cups vegetable, peanut, or olive oil
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups of seltzer water (I used grapefruit La Croix here)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon sweet rice wine
- sea salt
Directions
First, prepare your flowers, and please, please make sure all of your flowers are edible. We used a variety of flowers and herbs including dianthus, calendula, mint flowers, oregano flowers, rose petals, gem marigolds, and sage leaves.
Heat oil in a small, deep pot to 375 degrees. You can also test oil temperature by placing a bamboo chopstick or a small flower or sage leaf into the oil. If bubbles start sizzling around the chopstick or test flower, the oil is ready.
While you’re waiting for the oil to heat, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and seltzer water in a medium bowl. Prepare the dipping sauce by combining the soy sauce, water, sugar, and rice wine.
Coat the flowers lightly in your batter – I used a fork to gently tap off excess batter. You can fry about 5 flowers at a time depending on their size. When they get just golden, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Sprinkle the hot tempura with a bit of sea salt as you fry, and serve immediately.
