How to Make Shrimp Tempura Rolls

If you enjoy the taste of fried shrimp but are looking for something a little lighter to serve at the next event that you're hosting, consider making shrimp tempura rolls. The lightly battered shrimp takes on a contemporary flair when served as sushi rolls. Using many of the same ingredients that you need to make other types of sushi, you can offer your guests a wide selection of food from which to choose.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Fresh shrimp
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Egg
• 1 Cup ice-cold water
• Cooking oil
• Nori
• Sushi rice
• Bamboo sushi mat
• Plastic wrap

Prepare the Shrimp Tempura for Your Rolls

1. Peel the shrimp carefully, making sure that you remove all of the exterior shell. Devein the shrimp by making a thin slice along the back of the shrimp and removing the dark vein.

2. Mix the egg in a bowl with cold water. The amount of water that you use should by roughly the same volume as the egg. Add flour to the egg wash and mix it in. The tempura batter should be fairly thin with some of the flour remaining unmixed with the egg wash.

3. Heat the cooking oil in a kettle, wok or deep frying pain to 350 degrees F. You should use enough oil to submerge the shrimp.

4. Dip the shrimp with the tempura batter. Place the battered shrimp in the heated oil (making sure not to splash the hot oil) and fry it lightly. You should leave the shrimp in the oil until the bubbles start to become smaller, indicating that the shrimp tempura is ready.

5. Set the shrimp tempura aside on a paper towel or wire rack to allow any excess oil to drain.

Make the Wrapping for Your Shrimp Tempura Rolls

1. Divide a sheet of nori into three equally sized pieces. Place one piece, shiny side down, on top of the plastic wrap and the sushi mat.

2. Spread a thin layer of sushi rice over the piece of nori, leaving a strip at the top uncovered. On the opposite and from the uncovered strip of nori, build a wall of rice that extends over the edge of the nori. This will will connect with the uncovered nori to seal the nori and rice around the tempura.

3. Turn the nori and rice over so that the nori is facing upward. Place the shrimp tempura horizontally across the center of the nori. Allow the tail of the tempura to extend over the edge of the nori so you can easily remove it from the rolls that you make.

4. Curl the sushi mat upward from both sides, causing the rice and nori to wrap around the tempura. Let the wall of rice come over the strip of nori that is uncovered and apply pressure through the sushi mat to complete the roll.

5. Cut the tempura roll into multiple pieces after removing the plastic wrap and sushi mat.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the tempura batter as soon as you make it. If you do not, it should be kept refrigerated until you use it.

• You can test whether the cooking oil is ready to use by dropping some of the tempura batter into the oil. If it initially sinks and then quickly rises to the top as it fries, it is ready for you to use to make shrimp tempura.