Crispy Prawn Tempura with Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce Recipe
Deliciously crispy Prawn Tempura featuring large prawns coated in a light, airy batter and deep-fried to golden perfection. Served with a tangy dipping sauce made from soy, rice vinegar, and ginger, this Japanese-inspired appetizer is perfect for a quick yet impressive meal or snack.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
For the Prawns
- 16 pieces Large Prawns/shrimp (large king prawns, tiger prawns, peeled, deveined, and tail-on)
- 2 tbsp Plain flour (to dust the prawns)
- Salt & pepper to taste (to season the prawns)
- Oil for frying (vegetable or neutral flavor oil)
For the Batter
- 100 gram Plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 30 gram Corn starch (or potato starch)
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- 1 Egg
- 200 ml Cold water
For the Dipping Sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce (light soy or all-purpose Japanese soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp Mirin (Japanese rice cooking wine)
- 1 tbsp Rice vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 1-2 tsp Brown sugar (or white sugar)
- ¼ tsp Grated ginger
Instructions
- Prepare Prawns: Peel, devein, and pat dry the prawns to remove excess moisture. You can leave the tails on or remove them depending on your preference.
- Prevent Curling: Make shallow diagonal slits on both the top and bottom of each prawn to prevent curling during frying. Gently press to straighten each prawn, then season with salt and pepper.
- Dust Prawns: Lightly coat each prawn with plain flour and set aside. This helps the batter adhere better.
- Make Tempura Batter: In a small bowl, combine plain flour, corn starch, and baking powder. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and cold water, then gently fold in the flour mixture. Stir lightly for 1-2 minutes; lumps are fine to keep the batter light and airy.
- Heat Oil: Fill a pot with 3-4 inches of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat to 340º-350ºF. Test readiness by dropping a bit of batter into the oil; it should sizzle and float immediately.
- Fry Prawns: Dip each floured prawn into the batter, allowing excess to drip off gently, then carefully place it into the hot oil. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the batter is crispy and golden, flipping occasionally.
- Drain Prawns: Remove fried prawns from oil and place on a cooling rack or paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Prepare Dipping Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sugar, and grated ginger until the sugar dissolves.
- Serve: Serve the hot crispy prawn tempura immediately with the prepared dipping sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Keep the batter cold to ensure a light and crispy texture.
- Do not overmix the batter; lumps are desirable.
- Fry in small batches to maintain oil temperature and crispiness.
- You can substitute mirin with a mixture of rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar if unavailable.
- Ensure prawns are dry before battering to prevent oil splatters.
