Along with sushi, tempura is one of the most common Japanese dishes served outside of Japan.. Juicy plump shrimp and fresh vegetables are dunked in lumpy batter and deep-fried to a light, crunch. Dunking the tempura into a creamy Sriracha dipping sauce, makes it even more addictive!
Ingredients:
Dipping Sauce:
- 1 cup (240 ml) mayonnaise
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sriracha
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) sweet soy sauce
Tempura:
- 1 cup (240 ml) flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240 ml) cold sparkling water
- ½ cup (120 ml) ice water
- Vegetable oil, for deep frying
- Cornstarch, for dredging
- 10 shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 6-8 small rainbow carrots, peeled and quartered
- 1 Japanese eggplant, cut into ½ inch (1.25 cm) slices
- 10 shiitake mushroom caps
Method:
For the Dipping sauce:
- In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sriracha, and sweet soy. Mix well. Refrigerate until needed.
For the Tempura:
- In a bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add the egg, oil, sparkling, and ice water. Beat until combined, but still a bit lumpy.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil to 325 F (160 C). Dredge the shrimp in cornstarch, then dip in the batter and carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the shrimp out of the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat these steps with the vegetables.
- Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.