Tempura Vegetable and Tempura Shrimp recipes are available from the NYT archives. Both of the recipes have garnered 4/5 stars. The comments in the article revealed some need for additional information to produce a successful Tempura.
Mark Bittman’s recipe uses the traditional ingredients for Tempura: water, egg, and flour. However, I prefer using just one egg as the yolk has more fat content than the proteinaceous egg white. The batter appears to coat more heavily with two yolks. I also like to keep the recipe simple with a 1 cup of water: 1 egg: 1 cup flour.
Some helpful suggestions on getting light and delicate tempura coating are:
- Using a finely milled version such as cake flour. All-Purpose flour can be substituted.
- The batter ingredients must be cold. One can leave a 24 oz. bottled water in the freezer for 1 hour. Make sure your vegetables and shrimp are chilled as well.
- When mixing the batter together, just stir with a pair of chopsticks, no need to beat it in. Use figure 8’s to mix. This will prevent the gluten from being activated and avoid a doughy consistency. It will appear lumpy.
- Recommended temperature for frying Vegetable Tempura is 325 degrees Fahrenheit and 350 degrees for the Shrimp Tempura.
- Don’t cut the ingredients too thick, I just like it enough to be around the same sizes like the asparagus or shrimp thickness, so that they all cook evenly and finish at the same time.
- Just before frying, ensure your vegetables and shrimp are dry before dusting with flour, then into the cold batter.
- Fry them immediately and do not overcrowd in the frying pan. I used my iron skillet flat bottom pan to get an even oil temperature.
- Most of all, don’t hesitate to experiment! Adust your batter accordingly with how it coats the veggies/shrimp. There should just be enough coating of the batter. There is even a Panko version that I tried.
- Other Tempura choices are scallops, eel, enoki mushrooms, lotus roots, sweet potato, asparagus and here, I tried some shishito peppers and squash blossoms.
- Tempura should be eaten right away. This is a great appetizer an have your guests gather around the kitchen waiting for the Tempura to be done.
There is also a Vegan Vegetable Tempura option which I found helpful with providing a dipping sauce recipe.
-
-
-
- Credit: NYT Cooking for the Dipping Sauce, 5starchefnurse for Tempura Batter
-
-
- For Dipping Sauce:
-
- – 1/2 ounce dried kelp (kombu)
-
- – dried shiitake mushroom
-
- – 1 tablespoon mirin
-
- – 1 tablespoon light-colored soy sauce
-
- – 1 tablespoon peeled, grated daikon
-
- – 1/2 teaspoon peeled grated ginger
-
- For Batter:
- – 1 cup sifted All-Purpose flour or Cake Flour
-
- – 1 Cup Really COLD water
-
- – 1 whole egg
-
-
- For the dipping sauce: Combine kelp and shiitake mushroom in a small bowl. Add 1 cup cold water and allow to soak for 3 hours. Strain and set the clear, amber liquid aside; discard kelp and mushroom. Pour mirin and light-colored soy sauce in a small pot over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid from the kelp and mushroom. Remove from heat, and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the daikon and ginger; set aside.
- For the Tempura:
- 1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cold egg and cold water. Stir well until uniform consistency.
- 2. In a separate mixing bowl, sift the flour. Add the egg mixture to the flour. Use a pair of chopsticks to gently mix the batter, using a figure 8 motion. Do not worry about leaving the powdery lumps of flour. Chill in freezer for 5 minutes before coating with the batter.
- 3. Once the oil is heated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, drop a teaspoon of batter into the oil to test. The batter should sink to the bottom and rise to the top once it is cooked. The batter will have a golden color that is airy and crispy.
- 4. Start frying the Tempura vegetables and finish with the shrimp (the shrimp is fried at around 350 degrees).
- 5. Eat while hot and dip in the sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
-
Best Tempura Ever
10 Essential Steps to a Successful Tempura
-
