Shrimp Tempura Recipe

One of the most popular Japanese dishes in Malaysia. Tempura was introduced in Japan by Portuguese missionaries in the middle of the 16th century 16. Making tempura at home is actually very easy if you us the right ingredients and techniques.

The basic ingredient of a tempura batter is wheat flour that is low in protein content like the flour commonly used to make cakes. The lower the protein content, the less gluten will result. The formation of gluten will result in a less crispy tempura. This is why tempura batter is made using cold water. Low temperatures reduce the formation of gluten. It is also important, for the flour to be mixed as little as possible, if there are lumps of flour it is not a problem. There are also recipes that use baking powder or carbonated water to make the coating more crisp and lighter.

Tempura can be made with a variety of seafood such as fish, cuttlefish and crab other than the most famous shrimp tempura. Vegetables can also be cooked tempura style , examples include onions, mushrooms, pumpkin, okra, eggplant and others.

Ingredients

300g ( 6 ) Shrimp

100g Wheat Flour ( Cake flour is preferred)

20g Corn flour

1 small egg

250ml of cold water

Sauce Ingredients

2 tablespoons Kikkoman Japanese soy sauce

1 tablespoons of sweet soy sauce

150ml of hot water

Method

1. Remove the shrimp heads, shrimp legs and skin. Don't forget to devein the shrimp.
2. To avoid curved shrimp, We're going to make shallow cuts to the bottom part of the shrimp. Don't cut too deep, approximately 1/2 cm only. After making the cuts, shrimp will be easier to straighten.
3. Invert the prawns and slice the top diagonally. Our goal is to make the shrimp surface area larger and the batter easier to stick.
4. Cut off the end of the shrimp tail. If not discarded, this part will expand and may explode when fried in hot oil!
5. Repeat for each shrimp, and set aside in the refrigerator.
6. Put wheat flour in a suitable container. Followed by corn flour and mix well.
7. Add eggs and 250ml of cold water. Make sure the water is - really cold. For best results, use water mixed with ice. Cold water will prevent the formation of gluten proteins in the batter.
8. Mix until the ingredients are only just combined. Avoid overly well-mixing the ingredients
9.  Don't worry if there are still lumps of flour in the mixture. Use it immediately.
10. Heat the oil. Dip the prawns in the tempura flour mixture. Make sure the shrimp are completely coated, and put in hot oil. About 160C.
11. Shrimp need only a few minutes to cook. When it starts to look crisp, turn the shrimp. When they are browned, shrimp can be removed.
12. Make sure the remnants of flour are filtered out each time before frying again. If left unchecked, The oil will smell charred. Repeat frying until all the prawns are fried.
13. For making tempura sauce. Add 2 tablespoons Kikkoman Japanese soy sauce . 1 tablespoons sweet soy sauce and mix well. Add 150ml of hot water and stir again.