No15 [Cooking] Tempura

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tempura

Deep fried seafood and vegetables in a super light and crispy batter, Tempura distinguishes itself from numerous other fried and battered foods by carrying much less fat. Tempura is one of the most popular Japanese dishes. It originates from the Portuguese settlers of the 16th century and was much favoured by the original Shogun rulers. It became an important part of Japanese culture. Often considered a difficult dish to perfect at home, it is made easy by using tempura batter mix. The secret of the lightness lies in having a considerable temperature gap between the ingredients are best stored in the fridge until the last minute and the batter kept cold over a bowl of ice cubes. Stick to the recipe and enjoy cooking a classic Japanese dish.

Ingredients:
(Serves 4-6)
– 150g Tempura batter mix
– 220ml ice cold water
– Seafood and vegetable ingredients of your choice
– Vegetable oil
– salt

How to prepare:
1. Prepare the ingredients such as large prawns, pieces of fish fillet and vegetables then dry well. Keep chilled until use.
2. Pour 220ml of ice cold water into a mixing bowl. Add 1 packet (150g) of Yutaka Tempura batter mix. Stir quickly until the flour is moistened (chopsticks are ideal for stirring) taking care not to overmix. The batter is readu when small flour lumps appear at the surface of the batter mix. For best results place the bowl of batter inside a larger bowl filled with ice.
3. Heat at least 5cm of oil to about 170-180°C in a frying pan. To test if the oil is hot enough, carefully drop a little batter into the oil. If it sizzles and floats to the surface, the oil is ready.
Dip the ingredients into the batter, and then drain to remove excess. Place gently into the hot oil. Fry in batches to avoid lowering the temperature. Fry until light golden brown on all sides. Drain on a wire rack or paper towel.