Japanese prawn tempura recipe step by step with pictures. It’s a Japanese prawn fritters recipe, where prawn is first dipped into the tempura batter and then deep fry in the hot oil. Basically, Japanese tempura is prepared with vegetables and seafood (basically prawns). But for making this Japanese shrimp recipe, tempura flour is a must ingredient.
To make this crispy Japanese shrimp or prawn tempura recipe, few things must keep in mind, first, use of tempura flour, second, use ice cubes and chilled water to prepare the tempura batter, third after making the batter start making the prawns without wasting time, the fourth is pan should not be crowded with prawns, fry the prawns one at a time and lastly, deep frying the prawns in the hot oil by maintaining the same temperature of the oil. Without any one of these, you won’t get that awesome crunch and taste.
In Japanese crispy prawns or shrimp tempura, a wonderful crunchy golden cover is hiding the tender and succulent meat of well-cooked shrimp in it, and its single bite will take you to heaven.
While enjoying the tempura prawns, did you ever notice that the prawns are lying straight in the plate? Generally, the prawns get shrink when put it in the hot oil as per its nature, but not in this recipe. There is a secret, what Japanese people follow, they break all the veins of the shrimp to keep its straight by using their fingertips and then use it for this easy shrimp tempura recipe.
We love to relish this crispy prawns recipe, but when I was planning to try this shrimp tempura out in my kitchen, I first found tempura flour is not easily available in India. Either I’ve to order it online or I’ve to prepare tempura flour at home for making this recipe. And I choose the second option which seemed more convenient to me. So I prepared my homemade tempura flour with the perfect ratio of each ingredient and today I’ll share that recipe too through this post.
When I first try this recipe with my homemade tempura flour came out wonderfully and I always prepare it at home while making the tempura batter. So it’s my easy recipe of prawn tempura and to know all secrets please stay connected.
If you love this easy and crispy shrimp tempura recipe, then you must try this recipe at home and please let me know how this Japanese prawns worked at your home by leaving a comment in the comment section below.
You can try my other prawn starters, i.e, crispy batter fried prawns recipe, butter garlic prawns recipe, prawn cutlet recipe.
Japanese prawn tempura recipe
Ingredients of prawn tempura
- 12 medium-size white prawns( 350 gms prawns)
- homemade tempura flour
- 1 egg
- 8 ice cubes
- 3 tbsp chilled water
For making homemade tempura flour
- 6 tbsp all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp corn flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp rice flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Homemade tempura prawns dipping sauce
- 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp soya sauce
- 1/2 tsp oil
- 3-4 tbsp water
Prep time: 20-25 mins
cook time: 15 mins
Served in: 35- 40 mins
Course: main course
Cuisine: Japanese
Served for: 3-4 people
Author: Moumita Paul
How to make Japanese prawn tempura recipe at home by step by step pictures
Instructions
How to make tempura prawns dipping sauce
- First, take a pan to add 1/2 tsp oil to it.
- Then add 1 tsp finely chopped garlic to the oil and saute it for few seconds.
- Next, add 1 tsp chili flakes to it.
- When the smell of roasted garlic smells come out, add dark soy sauce.
- Just after few seconds when the say sauce totally incorporated with garlic and chili flakes, add water to it.
- Let it boil and make it a little thick.
- Turn off the heat.
How to make homemade tempura flour for this recipe
- Take a mixing bowl, first add sifted all-purpose flour to it.
- Then add cornflour to the bowl.
- Add rice flour to the bowl.
- Next, add baking powder to it and mix it all together well.
- Lastly, add salt to it for taste. Mix it nicely and homemade tempura flour is ready to use.
How to prepare the prawns for this recipe
- First, remove prawns head and take out shell by cutting it with a scissor, only keep its tail portion intact.
- Then make a slit with a knife along its back where the vein is going through and take the vein out. (after taking out the vein, was kept it on the left side of the prawn in the pic)
- Next, make 5-6 slits on the inner side of each prawn with the help of a knife first. As shown in the pic.
- Then press it down with the flat portion of the knife to break all of its veins which will help to keep the prawns straight while frying. (as shown in the pic)
- Then you can use your first three fingertips of your both hands to make sure all the veins got broken or not. As shown in the pic.
- Now scrap its tail by a knife to remove all the dirt and then clean each prawn thoroughly by keeping it in a bowl of water.
- Then place the wet prawns on the kitchen towel or paper towel and place one more towel from the top, then gently press it from the top to dry it up.
- Now prawns are ready to go to the batter.
How to make Japanese prawn tempura recipe with homemade tempura batter
- Take another mixing bowl, first take 5 ice cubes to it, then add the egg in the bowl with the ice cubes.
- Now start beating the egg in the ice cubes with chopsticks or two skewers.
- When the egg will be well beaten, slowly add the homemade tempura flour to it. And gently mix it.
- Now add 3 tbsp chilled water to it and mix it slowly, don’t beat it. Then add 3 more ice cubes in the batter to keep it super chill.
- The consistency of the batter must not be too thick or too thin, but it should be light batter as shown in the pic.
- In the meantime, place a deep bottom pan on the high heat and add oil for deep frying.
- First, check the oil is correctly hot by leaving a drop of the batter in the hot oil. If the drop immediately comes up in the oil surface and creates small bubbles around it, that indicates the oil is ready to fry prawns.
- Now take each prawn by holding its tail and put it in the tempura flour first to roll the raw shrimps in it.
- Then put it into the batter to ensure that it fully gets coated(except the tail portion) with the tempura batter.
- Then put the prawn into the hot oil and shake each prawn in the oil for 5 to 6 secs by holding its tail. Then leave its tail in the oil too.
- let it fry for few seconds then turn it to get the other side done.
- When the shrimp turned to be a nice golden colour then take the prawns out of the pan.
- And place the fried prawns on the paper towel to soak the excess oil.
- Don’t put more than two prawns in the pan, though frying one by one is the basic rule of this tempura shrimp.
- Serve this tempura prawns hot with mayo or homemade sauce(described above) or both.
Tips
- Tempura batter should be chilled enough, otherwise, you won’t get that best crunch by using this recipe.
- Slit and press(with knife and fingertips) both techniques are mandatory for keeping the prawns straight after going into the oil.
- Always try to keep the temperature the same while frying the prawns.
- Must use the rice flour because as per my experience, my homemade tempura flour gives me that restaurant like crunch in this crispy shrimp recipe.
Based on 6 Review(s)
Very well explained.
Thank you, Mr.Sujoy
Wonderfully explained from start to end, so that anybody with a basic cooking idea can cook and relish such eye and mouth tempting recipe. Thank you and best of luck.
Thank you so much Mr. Angshuman.