[Ingredients] br br small eggplant br asparagus br okra br Kogomi br maitake mushroom br Shiso br Nori seaweed br squid br sea bream br Lake Biwa, small ayu fish (or young ayu fish) br Red prawn br br br -Oil br br Rapeseed oil br Sesame oil (You don't need it, but adding it will increase the flavor. Specialty stores use a higher percentage of sesame oil, but it is also more expensive, so I added about 20-30. br br -Aya Shiraga br br Miwa Somen br Rice flour br Black sesame paste br Nori seaweed (wrapped around the bottom of the somen noodles) br Food coloring (very small amount for batter) br br -Donburi dipping sauce br br 3 tbsp soy sauce br 1 tbsp mirin (sweet cooking rice wine) br 2 tbsp sugar br 150ml bonito soup stock (or bonito and kelp) br br Cooking Tips br br Feel free to use whatever ingredients you like. br If you are using okra, be sure to cut into it as the air inside may expand and cause it to burst. br Make sure to cut okra into pieces before frying. br Chill the eggs, flour, water, and bowl in the refrigerator beforehand. br To make the batter, dissolve the eggs in cold water and then add the flour. Do not overmix as gluten will form and the batter will be sticky. br The temperature of the oil should be 170 degrees for hard foods such as pumpkin and 180 degrees for soft foods such as fish. br The temperature of the oil should be 170 degrees for hard ingredients such as pumpkin, and 180 degrees for soft ingredients such as fish. ・Fish should be fried last because the water in their bodies will be released after frying (and the flavor of the oil will be lost). br A small amount of potato starch mixed with flour will give a crispy texture. The ratio should be about 4:1. You can also use soda water instead of water. br To prevent the batter from crumbling, gently place the batter in the oil as close to the surface as possible. br Remove the batter when it floats completely in the oil and the bubbles become large. Remove before the air bubbles disappear completely and allow the residual heat to cook through. br The temperature difference between the oil and the batter will cause the oil to drain cleanly through the small holes in the batter.