Homemade Japanese Tempura Batter for Shrimp, Chicken, Fish, Vegetable

Shrimp

One of the most popular ingredients to be deep fry with tempura. Contrary to our normal poach shrimps, Japanese tempura shrimps are straight, fluffier and more voluminous. To prepare shrimp for tempura frying, you will need to follow these steps:

• Remove shell, leaving only the last segment and it tail.
• Use a pointed paring knife, cut shallow lines along its body, one on top and one underside of its back.
• Use the knife tip to pierce in, lift and remove its vein and intestinal tract.
• Gently use your hand to straighten the shrimp body out.
• Place it on a flat surface (e.g cutting board)  and the top with something heavy to flatten its shape (e.g. another cutting board or plate). Let sit for a couple minutes or until ready to dredge into batter.

Fish

Any fishes that can be fillet are suitable for tempura. In Japanese cuisine you won’t see as much fish tempura as shrimp and veggies though, due to most Japanese would prefer fresh fish in their sushi rolls. For our cooked sushi lover, tempura fish is a great topping to enjoy inside maki roll with other seasoning.

• Choose firm or steak types of fish: halibut, salmon, cod, sturgeon, hemibagrus, cuttlefish…
• Fillet and Remove all bone unless use one with crunchy bone line sturgeon.
• Cut into thin and even slices, roughly 1/4 – 13 inch thickness.
• Dust with dry flour mixture beforehand and set aside.

Other seafood

Some other common seafood that used for tempura are soft-shell crabs, squid tentacles, salted-water eel, crab stick, fish cake…Except for soft-shell crab, where you should cut into halves for easier handling and carefully dredge with dry mixture; the rest, you just leave them whole and dip straight into batter. No need for dredging beforehand.

Chicken, pork and meat

Most of the time you would see chicken tempura. While in the State, we adore our wings and drum sticks, the Japanese tend to like flatten steak shape. The case is true for pork as well. Also, while chicken tempura is used in rolling sushi (mostly for kids though), there’s another dish called katsu, which involved dipping chicken/pork/beef into tempura batter before dredging/shaking with breadcrumb. So save the recipe for katsu if you might.

• Choose lean or fillet type of meat: chicken breast with ribs, pork loin…
• Cut into palm hand sizes and shape.
• Flatten with some heavy object for equal thickness and straighten out
• Dip in this tempura batter, no need for pre-shaking with dry flour mixture.
• Shake battered meat into bread crumb before frying if you’re using for katsu

Vegetables

Can be anything that is edible, green or starch. Just dip these straight into batter and drop into frying pan, no need for dredging or pre-shaking. Some common vegetables that are used for tempura include:

• Starchy foods like sweet potato, potato, lotus root, pumpkin, beet, butternut… should be removed skin (if need), then cut into thin slices about 1/3 – 1/4 inch thickness, diagonally slanted across their bodies surface.
• Smushy or soft veggies like squash, egg plant, zucchini, onion, mushroom… should be cut into thicker slices across their bodies, roughly 1/3 inch. Same goes for jalapeno and bell pepper.
• Stalks and root veggies like celery, broccoli, asparagus, bean carrot, burdock… should be cut into 2-3 inches long segments
• Leaves like sisho, kale or nori sheet can also be dip into batter (one side/surfacee only) and deep fry, just leave them whole or cut to palm hand size.

Tempura dipping sauce

1. In medium sauce pan over low/simmering heat, add 6 Tbsp water, 1/2  teaspoon dashi powder, 1 Tbsp mirin and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.
2. Stir to mix and reducing to half.
3. Serve this sauce warm along with tempura.

Quick tempura sauce

1. Microwave 2 Tbsp of water and 1/2 Tbsp of sugar for 20 seconds to warm.
2. Then stir in 2 Tbsp of ponzu, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp mirin.
3. Flavor with a couple dashes of sriracha, hot sauce or ground pepper. Different flavor but bring out the goodness in tempura as well.