Tempura
Tempura is one of the fried foods of Japan. Various meats, fish, and vegetables are dipped in batter and then deep fried until lightly golden.
- Prep
- 12 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 21 min
- Total
- 1 hr 33 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Medium
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Heat oil in a deep pan to 340–350°F (~171–176°C).
Procedure
Beat the egg in a bowl and add ice cold water. Warmer water will produce a sticky batter and more oily tempura.
Procedure
Add flour and mix lightly. Do not overmix batter—a few lumps actually improve the result, adding crispiness.
Procedure
Dip meat or vegetables briefly in the batter, and fry until brown.
Procedure
Remove from the oil and drain.
Procedure
Serve hot.
Notes, tips, and variations
If using shrimp, score them a few times crosswise on the underside, to prevent them from curling up during deep frying. Alternatively, skewer them before cooking. Remove the skewers before serving.
Notes, tips, and variations
You may also wish to include 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in the batter.
Notes, tips, and variations
Serve over white rice garnished with black sesame seeds, in a bowl of udon noodle soup, or in a bowl of soba noodle soup. Serving in soup will make the cooked batter get mushy, of course.
Photo: Ryusuke · CC BY 2.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 9 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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