Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura

Name: Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 lb large shrimp (16/20 count), peeled, deveined, tails on; 1 medium sweet potato, sliced 1/4 in thick; 2 cups broccoli florets; 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed; 6 cups neutral oil (vegetable or canola); 1 cup all-purpose flour, chilled; 1/4 cup cornstarch; 1 large egg; 3/4 cup ice water; 2 tsp dashi powder (hondashi); 1 cup water (for dipping sauce); 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup mirin; 1/2 cup daikon radish, grated

Crispy Japanese-style battered shrimp and seasonal vegetables fried to a delicate golden lace, served with a classic tentsuyu dipping sauce.

45 minMediumServes 4430 cal/serving

JapaneseAppetizerStovetopPescatarianHigh FiberHigh ProteinDairy-FreeLow-SodiumPork-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

1 lb large shrimp (16/20 count), peeled, deveined, tails on
1 medium sweet potato, sliced 1/4 in thick
2 cups broccoli florets
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
6 cups neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
1 cup all-purpose flour, chilled
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 large egg
3/4 cup ice water
2 tsp dashi powder (hondashi)
1 cup water (for dipping sauce)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/2 cup daikon radish, grated

Instructions

1

Make the tentsuyu dipping sauce: combine 1 cup water (for dipping sauce), 2 tsp dashi powder (hondashi), 1/4 cup soy sauce, and 1/4 cup mirin in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stir, then remove from heat. Keep warm.
2

Heat 6 cups neutral oil (vegetable or canola) in a deep heavy-bottomed pot or wok to 350°F (175°C). Use a thermometer for accuracy; the temperature is critical for crisp tempura.
3

Prepare the batter just before frying: whisk 1 large egg and 3/4 cup ice water together in a cold bowl. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup cornstarch all at once and stir very lightly - lumps are fine. Overworking develops gluten and ruins the crispness.
4

Pat 1 lb peeled, deveined, tails on large shrimp (16/20 count), 1 medium sliced 1/4 in thick sweet potato, 2 cups broccoli florets, and 8 oz stems removed shiitake mushrooms completely dry. Make 3-4 shallow cuts across the belly of each shrimp and press gently to straighten so they don't curl.
5

Dip each piece in batter, letting the excess drip off, then lower gently into the hot oil. Fry shrimp 2 minutes and vegetables 2-3 minutes until the batter is pale golden and crisp. Check shrimp reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). Work in small batches to keep the oil temperature stable.
6

Drain on a wire rack. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce and 1/2 cup grated daikon radish.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The Japanese Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

How hot should the oil be for Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura?

For Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura, the frying oil is held at 350 F (about 175 C) in step 2. Hotter scorches the outside before the inside cooks, and cooler turns it greasy. The target internal temperature is 145 F (about 65 C), given in step 5. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

What should Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura look like when it is ready?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 5: cook until the batter is pale golden and crisp. A reading of 145 F on a thermometer settles it.

Why pat it dry first in Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura?

Surface water has to boil off before anything can brown. Drying at step 4 means the food sears in the first minute instead of steaming.

Is there a substitute for dashi in Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura?

The entry for Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura calls for 2 tsp dashi powder (hondashi). In its place: Light chicken or vegetable stock with a splash of soy sauce works. For something closer, steep a piece of kombu or a few dried shiitake in hot water for 20 minutes.

Can I use frozen shrimp instead of shrimp in Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura?

Yes; most shrimp sold as fresh were frozen once already. Thaw them under cold running water for about ten minutes and pat them very dry so they sear instead of steaming. As written, the entry for Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura uses 1 lb large shrimp (16/20 count), peeled, deveined, tails on.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.