Japanese Shrimp Tempura (Ebi Tempura)
These Japanese Shrimp Tempura (Ebi Tempura) are always a winner. After all, who could resist plump and juicy prawns encased in the crispiest tempura batter? I always make extra because they seem to disappear far too quickly…
Servings: 2 servings as a main
Ingredients
For the prawns:
- 500 g tail-on jumbo raw prawns
- 100 g cornflour
- ¼ tsp flaky sea salt
For the batter:
- 300 g plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 400 ml chilled sparkling water
- 2 ice cubes
- Oil for frying
To serve:
- Sriracha mayonnaise sweet chilli sauce or tentsuyu sauce
Instructions
- Peel the prawns but leave the tail on. Using a sharp knife, carefully devein them - it can be a bit fiddly and time consuming, but is definitely worth it (you could ask your fishmonger to do this bit for you).
- Lay the prawns on a chopping board and, using a sharp knife, cut shallow slits on either side to flatten them out. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
- Tip the cornflour in a shallow bowl and the salt. Mix to combine. Add the prawns and toss together so they are well coated. Set aside.
- For the batter: in a large mixing bowl, mix together the plain flour, baking powder, garlic granules and salt. Give it a good stir and then add the sparkling water, followed by the ice cubes. Don't over mix - it's okay if there are lumps.
- Fill a large deep-saucepan, casserole pan or deep-fat fryer ⅓ full of oil and heat until it reaches 190C. Line a plate or baking tray with kitchen paper.
- One at a time, dip each prawn into the batter and gently shake off the excess. Carefully lower into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes - or until crispy and golden brown. Once you get the hang of it, you can fry in batches of 3 or 4 at once - don’t do too many or you will overcrowd the pan.
- Carefully remove the prawns from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on the kitchen-paper lined plate or baking tray to absorb any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining prawns.
- Serve warm with sriracha mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce or tentsuyu sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Chill out: you need the fizzy water to be ice cold, ice cubes are ideal for keeping it cold.
Overcrowding: it is really important not to overcrowd the pan when frying or else the temperature could drop leaving you with oily, greasy prawns or the prawns could stick together - neither of which are what we are going for!
Serving suggestion: I love serving this with a spicy sriracha mayonnaise or sweet chilli sauce. Traditionally it would be tentsuyu which is a must-try if you can find it!