Purple Sprouting Broccoli Tempura with Nuoc Cham

Ingredients

• 50 gcorn flour, cornstarch; for tempura batter
• 100 gall-purpose flour, for tempura batter
• 1 tbspsesame seeds, optional; for tempura batter
• 250 mlsoda water, ice cold; whisked in at the last moment
• vegetable oil, for deep frying; fill pan no more than one third full
• 200 gpurple sprouting broccoli, trimmed
• 2 tbspfish sauce, for nuoc cham
• 2lime juice, juice of 2 limes; for nuoc cham
• 1bird's eye chilli, finely chopped; for nuoc cham
• 2 tbspsugar, for nuoc cham

Method

1. 1

   Whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, chopped chilli, sugar and 5 tbsp hot water to make the nuoc cham. Set aside.

2. 2

   Whisk together the cornflour, plain flour, sesame seeds (if using) and a large pinch of salt in a bowl.

3. 3

   Fill a large, deep pan no more than one-third full with vegetable oil. Heat to 180C (a cube of bread will brown in 20 seconds).

4. 4

   Quickly whisk the ice-cold soda water into the flour mixture — do not overmix. Using tongs, dip the broccoli spears into the batter and lower carefully into the hot oil.

5. 5

   Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with the nuoc cham for dipping.