TEMPURA BATTER & DIPPING SAUCE

Tempura Batter & Dipping Sauce image

Dedicated to member Areatha who requested a tempura recipe. : ) This batter is terrific for seafood, veggies, or tofu. There are several good recipes for tempura, however, I found this one to be the one we like the most. I hope you like it too. Included is a dipping sauce to enhance the experience. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Provided by Suzy MacFarland

Categories Seafood

Time 20m

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

1 c all purpose flour or rice flour
1/4 c corn starch
soda water or seltzer, or beer
coconut oil (solid type) for frying
.
sauce:
1/4 c tamari or soy sauce
few drops of sesame oil
a little sake or water
1/4 tsp scallion, green part only chopped
1/4 tsp sugar (optional)
dash(es) cayenne or white pepper (optional)

Steps:

1. Mix dry ingredients well. Add very cold seltzer or beer until desired thickness is acheived. Mix in a little at a time. Mix gently to retain carbonation. Mixture should be used right away while the mixture has the most carbonation. Note: Add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and buttermilk instead of beer or seltzer for a more bread like batter. Let sit a couple of minutes until bubbly Use right away while still bubbly for a crispier result.
2. Make sure the oil for frying is very hot or the food will soak up too much oil and be greasy and soggy. The bits of food should be small and will float to the top when done. They should be golden brown. The more done they are the longer they will stay crispy. Fry in small batches to retain the heat in the oil. Drain on paper towels serve on a plain or fancy paper doily. Serve immediately. Note: Make the batter in small batches so when the batter goes flat a new one can be made and more seltzer or beer can be added. I buy the small bottles of seltzer instead of the larger bottles. Bigger bottles lose their carbonation after awhile. For Gluten Free, try garbanzo (chickpea) flour.
3. Here is a traditional dipping sauce: Tamari (wheat free) or soy sauce (wheat and soy) A few drops of sesame oil A little water or sake to dilute 1/4 teaspoon of sugar (optional) Dash of cayenne or white pepper (optional) 1/2 teaspoon chopped scallion (green tops only) Mix well. Note: Use very little sake as it will make the sauce a slightly bitter. Add a couple of drops of lemon or orange juice for shrimp tempura. I promised this recipe to member Areatha and dedicate it to her! I hope all of you enjoy it~!