# Crisp Japanese Tempura

> Crisp tempura depends on three things: **very cold water**, **deliberate under-mixing** that leaves visible lumps of flour, and **oil at exactly 180°C**. Over-mixing forms gluten, and the batter comes out heavy rather than light and translucent.

**Japanese Cuisine · 35 min · 4 servings · 310 kcal per serving**

Tempura is not ordinary deep frying — it is a complete technique. The difference between Japanese restaurant tempura and the heavy version people make at home is decided in about thirty seconds of mixing.

## Ingredients

- 12 — large prawns, peeled with tails on
- 1 cup — plain flour
- 1/4 cup — cornflour
- 1 — cold egg
- 1 cup — iced water
- 1 small — aubergine, sliced
- 1 — sweet potato, thinly sliced
- 4 — sweet green peppers
- 1 litre — oil for frying (sunflower or corn)
- 1/2 cup — dashi stock (or light vegetable stock)
- 2 tbsp — soy sauce
- 2 tbsp — mirin (or 1 tsp sugar)

## Method

1. **Prepare the prawns** — Peel the prawns leaving the tails on. Make **three small cuts** along the underside and press gently with the heel of your hand until they straighten. Those cuts stop the prawn curling as it fries — a curled prawn cooks unevenly. Pat them thoroughly dry.
2. **Prepare the vegetables** — Cut the aubergine and sweet potato into slices exactly **half a centimetre** thick — thicker will not cook through and thinner will burn. Prick the green peppers with a fork so steam can escape. Dry everything completely.
3. **Heat the oil** — Heat the oil to **180°C**. Without a thermometer: drop in a little batter — if it sinks and rises straight back up the oil is ready; if it stays down it is too cool, and if it sizzles on the surface it is too hot.
4. **Mix the batter** — This is the critical step. Whisk the **cold egg with the iced water**, then add the flour and cornflour **all at once** and stir with chopsticks or a fork for **five strokes only**. Lumps of flour must still be visible on the surface — a smooth batter means gluten has formed and the tempura will be heavy.
5. **Fry the vegetables first** — Dip the vegetable slices in the batter, let the excess drip off, and lower them into the oil. Fry **no more than 4–5 pieces at a time** so the oil does not cool. Two to three minutes until pale golden — tempura is never deep brown.
6. **Fry the prawns and serve** — Hold each prawn by the tail, dip it up to the tail and lower it slowly into the oil. Fry **two minutes** only. Drain on **a rack, not paper** — paper traps steam and destroys the crispness. Warm the dashi, soy and mirin and serve as a dipping sauce alongside, immediately.

## Tips

- Make the batter **at the moment of frying**, not before — after 10 minutes gluten forms and the crispness is gone.
- Sit the batter bowl inside a larger bowl of ice — it must stay cold throughout the frying.
- A tablespoon of **vodka** in place of a tablespoon of water reduces gluten formation and adds crispness (it evaporates entirely).
- Flick a little batter into the oil around the pieces — that makes the crisp 'tenkasu' bits.

## FAQ

### Why is my tempura heavy?
You mixed the batter too much and formed gluten. Five strokes with chopsticks or a fork is all it takes, and lumps of flour should still be visible. The water must be iced too — warmth speeds gluten formation.

### Why do my prawns curl?
The abdominal muscles contract in the heat. Make three small cuts along the underside and press gently with the heel of your hand until the prawn straightens — it will then stay straight and cook evenly.

### Which oil should I use?
A neutral oil with a high smoke point such as sunflower or corn. In Japan a small proportion of sesame oil is added for flavour. Extra virgin olive oil is unsuitable — its smoke point is too low.

### How do I know the oil is at 180°C?
Drop in a little batter: if it sinks and returns to the surface straight away, it is ready. If it stays at the bottom the oil is too cool; if it sizzles on the surface without sinking it is too hot.

---

Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/japanese-cuisine/japanese-tempura-crisp-batter
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-23