Hello everyone! Tempura are an assortment of fritters that are very popular in Japan. Antoine and I love it, but to be honest with you, we rarely eat it in restaurants because we often find it too fatty and the dough too thick, making it less easy to digest. For the record, tempura was imported by the Portuguese in the 16th century. They were taken over by the Japanese, who diversified them with vegetables. For this easy-to-make recipe, you can either buy the dough ready-made in an Asian store, or make it yourself if you have the time and energy.
✖️ Preparation time | 15 minutes
✖️ Cooking time | 1 good hour
✖️ Quantities: 4 people
USTENSILS
1 wok or deep fryer, 1 salad bowl, 1 skimmer or long wooden chopsticks
We don’t have a deep fryer because we don’t need one. We prefer to have a wok that acts as a deep fryer from time to time, and which we will use more on a daily basis. Our wok is from Staub black at 235€. We love the grid for draining your food before serving. Antoine’s mom gave it to him 10 years ago, it hasn’t got a scratch and has never moved. It’s great quality. We think it’s a must-have for every kitchen!
🖤 | OUR WOK SELECTION
INGREDIENTS
Vegetables and shrimps
- 15 fresh shrimp (uncooked is very important)
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 eggplant
- 2 carrots
- 2 onions
- 33 cl frying oil (we use a hollow wok)
For homemade frying batter
- 200 grams flour
- 100 grams cornstarch or rice flour
- 1 sachet yeast
- 2 egg yolks
- 30 cl water
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 8 tablespoons water
- 1 large clove garlic, pressed
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Chopped coriander
- 2 crushed bird peppers
PREPARATION
Preparing the dough
You can either buy the dough ready-made in an Asian store, or make it yourself if you have the time and energy.
- Pour the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and egg yolks into a bowl and mix.
- Then add the water until the paste is not too fluid. (mix with your hands if you wish). If a few lumps remain, don’t worry, they’ll add crunch after cooking.
Cutting vegetables and shrimps
- Cut your vegetables into thin slices, in two parts. For the onions, make strips, and for the frying, grab them by several so they stick together.
- Peel your fresh shrimp and keep only the tails. This will make them easier to taste.
Preparing the sauce
- In a bowl, mix the sugar with the soy sauce, vinegar and water.
- Add the pressed garlic, chopped coriander and crushed chilli pepper. All set
Preparing and cooking tempura
- Heat the oil in a wok. Take care not to boil the oil during cooking. When the little bubbles appear, turn the thermostat back to medium (3/6 for us).
- Soak your vegetables or shrimps in the paste, then carefully insert them into the oil. Place them one by one to prevent them from sticking together. We suggest you start by cooking the vegetables, then finish with the shrimps, to keep them warm for eating.
- Cook the tempura for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. (If your oil is new, the coloring will be much lighter. Your last tempuras will be more colorful)
- Take them out of the cooking bath, drain them on the wok rack and place them in a dish on absorbent paper, putting a new sheet between each layer.
- It’s ready to enjoy.
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