Tempura Prawns
Large prawns dipped in an ice-cold batter and fried for 3 minutes until pale and crisp, with a soy and ginger dipping sauce.
The Method for Tempura Prawns
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Simmer the soy sauce, mirin and dashi for 2 minutes, cool and stir in the ginger.
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Cut three shallow slits along the belly of each prawn, press flat and pat dry.
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Heat the oil to 180°C / 355°F. Whisk the flour, cornflour, sparkling water and egg yolk with chopsticks for a few strokes, leaving lumps.
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Dip the prawns in the batter and fry in batches of 4 for 3 minutes, turning once, until pale gold. Drain on a rack and serve with the sauce.
Keep an Eye on These
- Keep the batter ice cold.
- Leave the lumps in the batter.
- If your oil runs hot, check at 2 minutes.
- Fry in small batches.
Changing the Recipe
- A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
Good to Know About Tempura Prawns
Tempura should be so light it barely seems to be there: a lacework of batter that shatters and gives way to a juicy prawn. Heat and temperature are everything, and the batter needs to stay cold.
Use iced water, and mix the batter just before you fry, with chopsticks and no more than a few strokes. Leave the lumps in. Overmixing develops gluten, and gluten makes the batter heavy and chewy.
Peel the prawns but leave the tails on. Make three shallow cuts along the belly and press flat so they do not curl, and pat them dry so the batter clings.
Heat the oil to 180°C. Fry only 4 prawns at a time, for about 3 minutes, turning once, until the batter is pale gold. If your oil runs hot, check at 2 minutes. Lift onto a rack, not paper, and serve at once with the dipping sauce. Serve it the moment it is out of the oil, because tempura is at its best for only a few minutes.
What to Serve It With
Steamed rice · Pickled ginger · Soba noodles · Cold beer
Keeping Tempura Prawns
Eat straight away; tempura goes soft within minutes.
Common Questions
How long does Tempura Prawns take to make?
About 23 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 8 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 4.
What are the key tips for making Tempura Prawns?
Keep the batter ice cold. Leave the lumps in the batter. If your oil runs hot, check at 2 minutes. Fry in small batches.
What should I serve with Tempura Prawns?
Steamed rice; Pickled ginger; Soba noodles; Cold beer.
Is Tempura Prawns suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is dairy-free and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Tempura Prawns?
About 360 kcal per serving, with 21 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate and 16 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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