🍤 Tempura Recipe w/ Dipping Sauce & SAKE! | 天婦羅 Japanese Batter for Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura

all-purpose flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: cake flour

Whole wheat flour adds fiber while cake flour can be more economical.

cornstarch

💰Cheaper: potato starch

Potato starch provides a similar crispiness at a lower cost.

ice water

Ice water is essential for achieving the desired batter texture.

egg

🥗Healthier: flaxseed meal

💰Cheaper: aquafaba

Flaxseed meal or aquafaba can serve as a vegan alternative.

Combine 3/4 teaspoon hondashi powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 3/4 cup water in a pot.

Bring to a slight boil and mix until the sugar and hondashi are dissolved.

Add 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of mirin to the pot and stir until well combined, then set aside to cool.

Cut the eggplant into half-inch thick diagonal pieces, slice the onion into 6 pieces, and cut 5 pieces of taro and carrots about 1 centimeter thick.

Pat the vegetables dry with paper towels to prevent the batter from sticking.

Remove the veins and shell from each shrimp, leaving just the tail.

Cut slits on the belly of the shrimp and press it down on a cutting board, then cut more slits on the backside to prevent curling during frying.

Press the shrimp against paper towels to dry them further.

Heat vegetable oil in a large stainless steel pot for deep frying, aiming for about 2 inches high.

Combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour with a beaten egg in a mixing bowl, then add 1 cup of ice-cold water and mix briefly, leaving lumps in the batter.

Set up a station with the batter, a small bowl of all-purpose flour, sliced veggies, and shrimp next to the hot oil.

Dredge the dry ingredients in flour before coating them in the batter, shaking off any excess flour.

Carefully place the battered ingredients into the hot oil one at a time, avoiding overcrowding.

Fry each ingredient until slightly golden brown, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a consistent frying temperature.

Remove any byproducts from the batter to prevent burning.

Rest the cooked tempura on paper towels or parchment paper to absorb excess oil.

Optionally sprinkle with salt or dip into the cooled dipping sauce before serving.

Serve immediately while hot and crispy.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens