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If you’ve enjoyed this tasty dish in a Japanese restaurant (like I have at Jinkichi and Sake no Hana), here’s how to make it at home! My Japanese stepmother-in-law is an expert at preparing tempura and has kindly given me this recipe, along with some others. I’ve had it at her home and can promise you that it’s fantastic.
All the ingredients can be easily found in any Japanese supermarket or if you’re lucky, your local one. And if you want purely vegetarian tempura, then just skip the seafood ingredients and if you like, add other vegetables instead. Let me know what you think!
Tempura: (serves 4)
- 4 spring onions
- 1 aubergine
- 1 carrot
- 4 Shiitake mushrooms
- 1 small sweet potato
- 1 whole squid
- 8 king prawns
- 225g white fish fillets
- 6 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup flour for coating
- 6 teaspoons finely grated daikon (white radish)
- 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger root
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups(500ml) ice water
- 2 cups(250g) tempura flour
- 1 cup dashi (Japanese fish stock)
- 3 teaspoons mirin
- 4 teaspoons soya sauce
- 1 lemon
What to do next:
Prepare the dashi. Chop spring onions in half. Cut aubergine into quarters lengthwise, leave 1/2 (12cm) flesh on skin and slice into fan shape. Cut sweet potato crosswise into 6cm slices. Remove shells but leave tail on King prawns. Make 2~3 short deep cuts on the inner curve to prevent curling during cooking and press slightly to straighten. Clean and skin squid, and cut through both layers crosswise to form rings. Cut white fish fillets into 5 x 25 cm pieces and pat fish dry with kitchen towel.
For the dipping sauce, bring to boil dashi, soy sauce and mirin, reduce heat and keep warm. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons daikon in each of 4 serving bowls, with 1/2 tsp ginger, cut lemon into wedges and set aside.
Heat oil to 160C and maintain temperature. Prepare batter - beat 2 egg yolks in bowl and add 2 cups (500ml) ice water, beat lightly to mix well, add 2 cups (250g) flour and mix ingredients.
To cook, individually coat ingredients in flour, shake off excess flour, dip into batter, fry (most things need only 2-3 minutes) and drain on plate covered with kitchen towel or paper napkin.
To serve, pour 1/4 cup (60ml) dipping sauce into each bowl with daikon and ginger. Eat the tempura while hot and don’t drown it in the dipping sauce, otherwise it will get really soggy.
Here’s a recent post that might come in handy - 8 Useful Japanese Ingredients.
My stepmother-in-law’s other recipes:
