How to make Tempura from scratch (with dipping sauce)

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By techspice
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (8 Ratings)

This dish will really impress your friends or family. The tempura tastes great, but even better with the dipping sauce. Don't be intimidated since it sounds like it is harder to make than it is. I like to use shrimp, mushrooms and zucchini, but try your favorite vegetables. Just add some sake, miso soup and/or edamame to make a great Japanese themed meal.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

shrimp, mushrooms (portobella work well), zucchini, sweet potato, green beans, carrots - or any other items you want for tempura, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/8 cups chilled seltzer or club soda
whisk (or a fork works)
vegetable oil for frying
tongs
2 chopped green onions or scallions (for dipping sauce)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (for dipping sauce)
1/2 cup soy sauce (for dipping sauce)
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (for dipping sauce)

Step 1

TO MAKE THE TEMPURA BATTER:
Mix together the flour and salt in a medium sized bowl. Gradually pour in 1 cup of the chilled seltzer or club soda and whisk until smooth. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes. If the batter is too thick, add a little more of the chilled seltzer water or club soda. The batter should be about the same consistency as crepe batter, but thick enough to stick to the vegetables.
Step 2

TO MAKE THE TEMPURA:
Heat about a 1/2 cup of oil in a large deep heavy pan over medium high heat. The amount of oil you use will depend on the size of your pan. You want the oil to generously cover the pan and be about 1/2 inch thick. The oil should be hot but not smoking. If you have an electric fryer, heat several inches of the oil to 375 degrees.
Step 3

One by one, roll the bite sized vegetables (or shrimp) in the batter until completely covered. Carefully place each of them in the oil. CAREFUL! Do not splash oil on yourself! Do not layer or put too many vegetables in the pan. They should not be close enough to touch each other.
Step 4

Fry the vegetables or shrimp until golden brown (about 3 minutes on each side). Use your tongs to turn them over. The batter should turn brown and crisp. If it takes longer than a few minutes for the batter to turn golden brown, your oil is not hot enough. If the batter starts to burn, your oil is too hot and you will need to adjust the heat accordingly.
Step 5

Place the cooked vegetables on several layers of paper towels to dry and repeat the process of adding more vegetables to the oil. You may need to heat more oil if you are making a large batch of tempura.
Step 6

TO MAKE THE DIPPING SAUCE:
Combine the onions (or scallions), vinegar, soy sauce and ginger in a small bowl and serve with the tempura