Happy National Tempura Day!

In celebration of National Tempura Day, check out this easy and delicious (and light) recipe for Shrimp Tempura! Not a fan of shrimp? You can also use the same batter for strips of chicken, tofu, zucchini, wild mushrooms, blanched green beans, and onions! I also recommend serving the tempura with a dipping sauce of soy sauce spiked with a little mirin and sesame oil! 

A few tips for a successful outcome:

• Use cold/ice water for the batter; this prevents the batter from absorbing excess  oil.
• As much as I tout the benefits of "prepping ahead", this batter is best prepared right before frying. 
• Don't over-mix the batter. 
• Dry shrimp and veggies well before dipping them in the batter; this will help the batter adhere.
• For a crispy coating, don't saturate or overcoat the ingredients with batter. 
• If you're frying both seafood and vegetables, fry the vegetables first.
• The temperature of the frying oil should be 325-350 degrees. To determine if the oil is hot enough (or too hot), drop a little bit of batter into the oil. When the temperature is right, the batter will drop halfway to the bottom of the pan and then float back up to the surface. If the batter shoots right to the surface, the oil is too hot (probably higher than 370 degrees). 
•  Tempura is traditionally served with boiled soba noodles and shredded carrots or daikon radish.

Shrimp Tempura

12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail shells left intack
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 6 cups vegetable or peanut oil for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 1/2 cups ice water

Make several shallow cuts across inside curve of each shrimp and gently press shrimp flat on cutting board (this helps prevent curling during cooking). Pat the shrimp dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat 4 inches of the oil in large saucepan over medium heat until a thermometer registers 325-350 degrees F.
In large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sesame oil. Gradually and gently whisk in the ice water, mixing just until the dry ingredients are moistened (the batter will be very lumpy). Working in batches and using tongs, dip the shrimp into the batter and then the hot oil. Fry the shrimp, turning occasionally, until golden, about 2 minutes.
Transfer the shrimp to paper towels to drain.
Make sure the oil returns to 325-350 degrees between batches and remove any residual bits of batter from the oil before adding the next batch.
Serve the tempura immediately with dipping sauce.

Serves 4




Photo: rakratchada torsap