Vegetable Tempura with Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 8 cauliflower florets
• 8 strips yellow bell pepper
• 24 snow pea pods, trimmed
• 8 sweet potato sticks, about 1/4 inch (1 cm) thick and 3 inches (8 cm) long
• 32 8-inch (20-cm) wood or bamboo skewers
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sugar
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) mirin
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lime juice
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) grated orange zest
• Sambal oeleck or other hot sauce to taste
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) cornstarch
• 1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 ml) salt
• 1 cup (250 ml) ice water
• 4 egg whites