Vegetable tempura rolls merge two of the most popular types of Japanese cuisine, tempura and sushi, into a meal that’s hard to beat. The savory flavors of the vegetable tempura complement the salty vinegar flavor of the sushi rice and nori sheet. In addition, as everything in this roll is cooked, it’s great for those new to sushi or hesitant to eat raw fish.
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What is a Vegetable Tempura Roll?
A vegetable tempura roll contains a variety of vegetables coated in a tempura batter and deep fried. The vegetable tempura is then wrapped in a seaweed wrapper (nori sheet) that is coated with sushi rice. I like to serve it with a ramekin of my homemade tempura dipping sauce (tentsuyu). However, you can also serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
Typically, I prepare vegetable tempura rolls as an uramaki roll, also known as an inside-out roll where the rice is on the outside of the nori sheet and the fillings are on the inside. However, I’ve seen this prepared as a maki roll as well (rice on the inside of the nori sheet with the fillings).
How to Control the Thickness of Your Roll
You can control how thick your sushi rolls are by how much of the nori sheet you use. I prefer to use an entire nori sheet when preparing vegetable tempura rolls as I like to load it with fillings. This makes for thicker rolls.
You can make your sushi rolls thinner by using 3/4 or half of the nori sheet. However, you would need to adjust your fillings accordingly.
How to Make Vegetable Tempura Rolls
While making vegetable tempura rolls is a bit of a process, the end product is worth the effort. Below we will walk you through how to make these savory rolls step-by-step:
Heat the oil
1. Heat enough vegetable oil to completely submerge the vegetables on medium heat. The oil should be heated to 350 degrees.
Cook the Sushi Rice
1. Rinse 1 1/3 cups of sushi rice by placing it in a colander and running water through it until the water is clear.
2. After the rice is rinsed, add it to a sauce pan with 1 1/2 cups of water. Check your sushi rice package to see the exact amount of water to be added as it can vary from depending on the brand you use.
3. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the rice simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft.
4. Remove the rice and place it into a bowl or dish and let cool. I would line the dish with parchment paper prior to adding the rice to avoid sticking.
5. Mix 1/4 cup of sushi vinegar into your rice. Stir until it has absorbed into the rice. Once cooled and fully absorbed, your rice is ready to roll!
Assemble the Ingredients and Cut the Vegetables
1. Cut the ends off of the asparagus stalks and discard.
2. Peel the sweet potato and cut into thin strips that are as long as the nori sheet is wide.
3. Cut the eggplant into thin slices and cut the slices in half so they will better fit into the sushi roll.
4. Once cut, dredge the vegetables in flour, and place on plate until needed. This helps the tempura batter to better stick to the vegetables.
Make Tempura Batter
1. Assemble the ingredients and chill the water. You may need to add ice if you don’t have access to very cold water. However, make sure to remove the ice cubes before combining with egg. I usually strain the ice cubes out of the water as I add to the egg.
2. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat until the yolk and white are combined.
3. Add cold water to the egg and mix well.
4. Add one cup of sifted flour into the egg and water mixture. You can also sift the flour directly into the mixing bowl.
5. Lightly mix the flour into batter, making sure not to over stir. The batter should be combined but a little lumpy.
Coat the Vegetables into Batter and Cook in Oil
1. Each of the vegetables have different cooking times so make sure you cook each type separately. Add the sweet potato strips to the batter and toss until coated. Then add to the hot oil and cook for three minutes.
3. After three minutes, remove from oil and add to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the oil.
4. Add the asparagus to the batter and toss until coated. Then add to the hot oil and cook for two minutes.
5. After two minutes, remove from oil and add to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the oil.
6. Add the eggplant slices to the batter and toss until coated. Then add to the hot oil and cook for one and a half minutes.
7. After a minute and a half, remove from oil and add to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the oil.
Assemble the Sushi Roll
1. Cover your bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. This will help keep the rice from sticking to it.
2. Next, place the nori sheet onto the plastic wrap with the shiny side facing down. Then press around a cup of sushi rice onto the nori sheet in an even layer. Tip: Combine a bowl of water and a splash of rice vinegar and use to wet your hands prior to handling the sushi rice. This will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.
3. Gently flip the nori sheet over so the rice is facing down. You will add the filling directly to the nori sheet with the rice on the outside.
4. Add the vegetable tempura to the nori sheet. I usually add one to two sweet potato strips, two to four stalks of asparagus, and two halves of the eggplant tempura depending on the size of the vegetables and how well everything fits.
5. Use the bamboo sushi mat to fold your roll until it’s completely enclosed. Once the rice is making contact with the nori sheet, pull back the sushi mat so it doesn’t get caught in the roll. Still using the sushi mat as your guide, finish rolling until the roll is completely wrapped. Then wrap the sushi mat around the roll and gently press, tightening the roll together. Keep in mind that rolling sushi is an art that may take some practice so don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t look perfect your first time. It will get easier the more you do it.
6. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 8 pieces. I do this by first cutting the roll in half. Then I cut each half in half followed by cutting each fourth in half. Tip: Be sure to clean and wet the edge of your knife before cutting each roll.
7. Serve with tempura dipping sauce (tentsuyu). You can also serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
Vegetable Tempura Roll Recipe
Vegetable Tempura Roll Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Sifter
- 1 Measuring cup
- 1 Chopstick for mixing
- 1 Whisk for mixing
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 1 1/3 Cups Sushi Rice dried, will cook to 4 cups
- 1/4 Cup Sushi Vinegar
Tempura Batter
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 1 Egg Large
- 1 cup Water Ice cold
Sushi Roll
- 1 Sweet potato
- 1 Bundle Asparagus
- 1 Egg plant
- Vegetable oil
- 4 Nori Sheets
Instructions
Heat the oil
- Heat enough vegetable oil to completely submerge the vegetables on medium heat. The oil should be heated to 350 degrees.
Cook the Sushi Rice
- Rinse 1 1/3 cups of sushi rice by placing it in a colander and running water through it until the water is clear.
- After the rice is rinsed, add it to a sauce pan with 1 1/2 cups of water. Check your sushi rice package to see the exact amount of water to be added as it can vary from depending on the brand you use.
- Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the rice simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft.
- Remove the rice and place it into a bowl or dish and let cool. I would line the dish with parchment paper prior to adding the rice to avoid sticking.
- Mix 1/4 cup of sushi vinegar into your rice. Stir until it has absorbed into the rice. Once cooled and fully absorbed, your rice is ready to roll!
Assemble the Ingredients and Cut the Vegetables
- Cut the ends off of the asparagus stalks and discard.
- Peel the sweet potato and cut into thin strips that are as long as the nori sheet is wide.
- Cut the eggplant into thin slices and cut the slices in half so they will better fit into the sushi roll.
- Once cut, dredge the vegetables in flour, and place on plate until needed. This helps the tempura batter to better stick to the vegetables.
Make Tempura Batter
- Assemble the ingredients and chill the water. You may need to add ice if you don't have access to very cold water. However, make sure to remove the ice cubes before combining with egg. I usually strain the ice cubes out of the water as I add to the egg.
- Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat until the yolk and white are combined.
- Add cold water to the egg and mix well.
- Sift one cup of flour into the egg and water mixture.
- Lightly mix the flour into batter, making sure not to over stir. The batter should be combined but a little lumpy.
Coat the Vegetables into Batter and Cook in Oil
- Each of the vegetables have different cooking times so make sure you cook each type separately.
- Add the sweet potato strips to the batter and toss until coated. Then add to the hot oil and cook for three minutes.
- After three minutes, remove from oil and add to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the oil.
- Add the asparagus to the batter and toss until coated. Then add to the hot oil and cook for two minutes.
- After two minutes, remove from oil and add to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the oil.
- Add the eggplant slices to the batter and toss until coated. Then add to the hot oil and cook for one and a half minutes.
- After a minute and a half, remove from oil and add to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the oil.
Assemble the Sushi Roll
- Cover your bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. This will help keep the rice from sticking to it.
- Next, place the nori sheet onto the plastic wrap with the shiny side facing down. Then press around a cup of sushi rice onto the nori sheet in an even layer. Tip: Combine a bowl of water and a splash of rice vinegar and use to wet your hands prior to handling the sushi rice. This will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.
- Gently flip the nori sheet over so the rice is facing down. You will add the filling directly to the nori sheet with the rice on the outside.
- Add the vegetable tempura to the nori sheet. I usually add one to two sweet potato strips, two to four stalks of asparagus, and two halves of the eggplant tempura depending on the size of the vegetables and how well everything fits.
- Use the bamboo sushi mat to fold your roll until it’s completely enclosed. Once the rice is making contact with the nori sheet, pull back the sushi mat so it doesn’t get caught in the roll. Still using the sushi mat as your guide, finish rolling until the roll is completely wrapped. Then wrap the sushi mat around the roll and gently press, tightening the roll together. Keep in mind that rolling sushi is an art that may take some practice so don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t look perfect your first time. It will get easier the more you do it.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 8 pieces. I do this by first cutting the roll in half. Then I cut each half in half followed by cutting each fourth in half. Tip: Be sure to clean and wet the edge of your knife before cutting each roll.
- Serve with tempura dipping sauce (tentsuyu). You can also serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Are vegetable tempura rolls gluten-free?
If ordered from a restaurant, vegetable tempura rolls will almost always contain gluten as flour is a main component of the tempura batter. However, if you make tempura yourself you can use a one-to-one gluten free substitute in your batter. This may make the batter a little more dense but the final product still tastes amazing.
Are vegetable tempura rolls eaten in Japan?
Yes, the tempura style of cooking was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese back to the 1600’s and has been popular ever since. While most sushi restaurants focus on the nigiri style of sushi, vegetable tempura rolls are also eaten in Japan.
Final Thoughts on Vegetable Tempura Rolls
Combining the savory flavors of vegetable tempura with the sushi rice and nori sheet found in a sushi roll makes for a meal that’s worth the effort. I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does! Happy cooking!
For more fun sushi recipes, check out the below articles:
Sweet Potato Roll Sushi Recipe
Cucumber Roll (Kappa Maki) Recipe
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