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Fish, East Asian

Shrimp and vegetable tempura with rice

Shrimp and vegetable tempura is a Japanese fried dish for 4 people, ready in 40 minutes, medium difficulty, for about €5 per person. Its success depends on a barely mixed batter and very hot oil, which give a light, crisp coating instead of a greasy one, served with plain rice and a grated daikon dipping sauce.

Tonight we're frying light, shrimp and vegetable tempura, nice and crisp, with its grated daikon dipping sauce.

Shrimp and vegetable tempura with rice
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€5.00
Calories per person
570 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Tempura is the Japanese take on light frying, the kind that shatters under your teeth without ever tasting greasy. Here, shrimp, eggplant, zucchini, and red bell pepper go into a barely mixed batter full of small lumps that puff up and turn golden in hot oil. The contrast is sharp, the crisp coating against the tender vegetables and the firm shrimp underneath.

This is a dish to make when you have a bit of time on your hands, a Sunday evening or for guests without going all out. Kids generally prefer dipping their shrimp into the daikon sauce rather than having it poured over. Mon Chou walks you through keeping the batter cold and the oil at the right temperature, the two keys to tempura that stays crisp.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Large peeled shrimp 12

Fruits and vegetables

  • Eggplant 1
  • Zucchini 1
  • Red bell pepper 1
  • Daikon radish 100 g

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 120 g
  • Cornstarchoften in the pantry 30 g
  • Ice cold sparkling water 20 cl
  • Frying oiloften in the pantry 1 l
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Instant dashi stockoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Honeyoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Egg 1

Allergens Shellfish, Gluten, Eggs, Soy, Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Make the sauce by heating 150 ml of water with the dashi, soy sauce, and honey, then let it cool with the grated daikon stirred in.

    Without dashi, a fish bouillon cube dissolved in hot water gives a similar flavor.

  2. Cut the eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper into strips, and slit the belly of each shrimp so they stay straight while frying.

    Dry everything very well, water is the enemy of a crisp fry.

  3. Cook the rice in salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    Keep it covered while you fry.

  4. Quickly mix the egg, ice cold sparkling water, flour, and cornstarch with chopsticks, without trying to smooth out the batter.

    Set the bowl of batter inside another bowl filled with ice cubes, it stays nice and cold.

  5. Heat the oil to 170°C, dip the vegetables then the shrimp into the batter, and fry them in small batches. 12 min

    If a drop of batter rises right away and turns golden, the oil is ready.

  6. Drain on a rack and serve right away with the rice and the sauce.

    Place them on a rack rather than paper towels, the steam would soften the batter.

Our tips to get it right

  • Prep all the vegetables and shrimp before making the batter, tempura batter doesn't forgive waiting once it's mixed.
  • Fry only a few pieces at a time, overcrowding the pot drops the oil temperature and makes the coating soggy.
  • Swap out the frying oil if it's already been used several times, tired oil browns the batter too fast without making it crisp.

The variations

  • Swap the shrimp for white fish fillets cut into strips, they fry just as quickly.
  • For a vegetarian version, double the vegetables and add shiitake mushrooms or sliced sweet potato.
  • For kids in a hurry, serve just a few vegetable tempura pieces with ketchup, skipping the daikon sauce.

What to serve it with

  • Plain or seasoned rice
  • Japanese cucumber salad
  • Hot green tea

Storage

Tempura is best eaten right away, it loses its crunch within a few hours. If needed, keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 day and reheat uncovered in a hot oven to crisp them back up a bit. The raw batter does not freeze.

Questions about this dish

Can you make tempura batter ahead of time?

No, the batter should be made right before frying. It loses its crispness if it sits, since the sparkling water loses its fizz and the gluten develops.

Can you replace the instant dashi stock?

Yes, a fish bouillon cube dissolved in hot water gives a similar flavor for the sauce. The result is a bit less umami but still works well.

How do you check the oil temperature without a thermometer?

Drop a bit of batter into the oil, if it rises right to the surface and turns golden, the oil is ready. If it sinks and stays down, wait a few more minutes.

Why is my tempura soggy instead of crisp?

This usually happens because the vegetables or shrimp weren't dried well before being dipped in the batter. Oil that isn't hot enough, or frying too many pieces at once, are the other common causes.

How long does it take to make a shrimp and vegetable tempura with rice?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a shrimp and vegetable tempura with rice?

About 570 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a shrimp and vegetable tempura with rice cost?

About €5.00 per serving, or €20.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains shellfish, gluten, eggs, soy, fish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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