Ninjin no happa no tempura / carrot leaf tempura

Tender carrot leaves made into crispy tempura.

<Ingredients>

Handful carrot leaves (young or tender leaves)
1 tbsp sakura ebi
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp potato starch
Tiny pinch salt (not in photo)
Cold water (not in photo)

<Directions>
1.

In a bowl, put flour, potato starch, salt and cold water, and roughly mix.

Consistency should be looser than pancake batter.

2.

Pick carrot leaves (remove from stems) and place in tempura batter.

Add sakura ebi.

Mix. Do not stir in circular direction, as it tends to make gluten of the doughy batter.
Instead, move ingredients in a single direction at a time.

If batter seems too thick to lightly coat ingredients, add cold water.

3.

Heat oil in a small pot or pan.
Oil 3-4 cm deep should be enough.

Put dry chopsticks in oil.
When tiny bubbles pop out from chopsticks, oil is at the right temperature.

4.

Put batter in oil and cook at medium heat.
Make each piece thin.
Batter will sink to the bottom first and then float to the surface.

Turn and cook both sides.

5.

When almost done, raise heat slightly, and hold a piece to be removed with one end still immersed in oil.
This draws oil out in the tempura piece and returns it to oil in the pot.

Lift from oil, lightly shake, and place in a drain pan lined with paper towel.

Serve hot with soy sauce.

<Notes>

• Egg would make batter richer, but it is almost too heavy for this dish. 
• Do not use sesame oil for this as its toasty aroma and flavor overwhelm soft flavor of carrot leaves, especially when they are tender.