Tempura, a traditional Japanese dish of battered vegetables and protein fried to perfection, requires just a few ingredients and comes together in a jiffy. However, simple food, like the humble tempura, requires precision—after all, soft steamed interiors with crunchy and crispy exteriors are not easy to achieve. That said, following a few tips and tricks, such as choosing the right kind of flour, can help one get the recipe just right!
How its made
This Japanese food is a light and airy alternative to most other deep-fried food options. Instead of heavy batters with breadcrumbs, tempura uses a simple mix of water, flour, and eggs to deliver perfection. Plus, the use of traditional seasonings and dipping sauces also makes the dish more flavorful.
The key to creating the perfect tempura lies in the ingredients and technique used. Things like batter preparation, mixing, oil temperature control, and more can impact the outcome.
Tips to follow
Ensure the temperature is right
The secret to making perfectly crisp tempura is getting the batter temperature right. Always start with a cold tempura batter. Maintaining the batter’s low temperature ensures no further gluten development in the mixture. If gluten forms, it could lead to the batter achieving a heavy and doughy texture. So, add ice-cold water to the flour. One can even store the batter in the fridge and allow it to chill till use. The ice-cold batter and the hot frying oil give tempura its coveted light, airy, and crispy texture.
Choose the flour carefully
Another thing that decides how tempura dishes turn out is the flour selection. All-purpose flour is commonly available and can help achieve the desired results. However, rice flour or cake flour is preferable to all-purpose flour. The lower protein content of these flours makes them ideal for tender bites. Asian supermarkets also carry specialized tempura flour that makes achieving the desired texture easier for anyone. Most tempura mixes also contain baking soda or baking powder to add fluffiness to the batter.
Add carbonated water
Homemade tempura batter is typically free from MSG, baking powder, and other additives. To achieve the desired texture and crispness in fried tempura dishes, consider this chef-approved tip: add chilled carbonated water with the flour. The carbonation helps create tiny air pockets that make the batter light and fluffy. However, ensuring that the sparkling water or club soda is properly chilled before mixing is important. It is also essential to keep in mind that the water must be well-chilled for the best results.
Avoid overmixing
While a lot of batters might require one to vigorously mix the ingredients, this is a mistake when it comes to tempura. The ideal tempura batter should be mixed and folded gently, just enough so that the ingredients combine well. It is also perfectly alright for the batter to have some lumps and clumps, as these irregularities contribute to the unique texture of the fried dish and enhance each bite. When mixing the tempura batter, it is best to use chopsticks or a fork. Avoid using a spatula or a spoon to whisk.
Check oil temperature
The temperature of the batter is crucial for achieving great tempura, but the frying temperature is equally important for ensuring crispiness. The frying temperature is a key factor that can make or break the tempura, even if one follows all the other cooking instructions to a T.
The oil temperature must be precisely hot rather than just hot enough. Ideally, the temperature range for frying tempura is between 170 and 180 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is too low, the batter will absorb too much oil; if the temperature is too high, the exteriors will burn, and the interiors will remain raw. So, a cooking thermometer is recommended to ensure the oil remains at the proper temperature throughout the frying process. Creating the perfect tempura batter is akin to crafting a masterpiece. Though the steps are quite simple in theory, and the ingredients are easily sourceable, precision is what is needed for the perfect tempura.
Mix 150 g of all-purpose flour (or another type of flour), 150 g of cornflour, three cooled egg yolks, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 300 ml of chilled sparkling water for an ideal tempura batter.
What to fry
Leafy greens
Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and beet greens can offer an interesting texture when dipped in the tempura batter and fried. It can be a tastier option for people who enjoy eating greens as is and for those who prefer their food fried.
Pickles
Deep frying pickles adds a whole new meaning to enjoying pickled food. It is the perfect balance of sourness and crunchiness.
Eggs
Eggs can be had anyway and would still be the perfect breakfast food. But to add more depth to this staple, try frying it with the tempura batter. The lighter batter ensures the food retains its nutritional value, keeps it light and airy, and adds a perfectly thin layer of crunchiness.