Authentic Kakiage (Mixed Vegetable Tempura)
Learn how to make authentic Japanese kakiage, a delicious dish made with a variety of thinly sliced vegetables encased in a light and crispy tempura batter. Serve on its own, or enjoy with udon or soba noodles!
- Prep time
- 40 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 150 ml water (chilled)
- 100 ml carbonated water (chilled)
- 150 g cake flour (chilled)
- 30 g cornstarch (chilled)
- 1 egg
- 3 ice cubes
- cooking oil (for deep frying)
- ½ yellow onions (thinly sliced)
- ½ carrot (julienned (matchsticks))
- 6 boiled shrimp (cut into 1 cm pieces (omit for vegetarians))
- 5 green beans (halved lengthways)
- 1 tbsp cake flour
- sea salt (optional for dipping)
- tsuyu sauce (noodle soup base) (diluted, optional for dipping)
Instructions
- 1
Before you start, make sure the batter ingredients are thoroughly chilled. Mix 150 g cake flour and 30 g cornstarch in a bowl and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. You can use this time to cut the vegetables.
- 2
Dry the cut ½ yellow onions, ½ carrot, 6 boiled shrimp and 5 green beans with kitchen paper and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp cake flour and mix until evenly coated.
- 3
Preheat a small pan of cooking oil to 180 °C (356 °F). Use a small pan and fry one at a time to improve the shape. While you wait for the oil to heat up, crack 1 egg into a bowl and add 150 ml water and 100 ml carbonated water. Whisk gently until combined.
- 4
If the egg mixture becomes foamy, scoop the bubbles out with a spoon.
- 5
Pour the chilled dry ingredients into a sieve. Sift into the egg mixture one-third at a time and draw crosses using chopsticks to help prevent over mixing. It's okay if the final result has a few lumps.
- 6
Add 3 ice cubes to the batter.
- 7
Pour the batter into the bowl with the vegetables and shrimp and mix until evenly coated.
- 8
Once the oil is hot, scoop up a ladleful of mixture and carefully slide it into the hot oil. Be careful not to scoop up too much batter, focus on lifting up the ingredients.
- 9
Fry for 1 minute and 30 seconds on each side.
- 10
Transfer to a wire rack to drain any excess oil. Continue to fry one kakiage at a time.
- 11
Serve with sea salt or diluted tsuyu sauce (noodle soup base) for dipping and enjoy!