Tempura Batter for Fish and Vegetables

Karen From Colorado's Note:

This batter can be used for fish, shrimp or fresh vegetables such as onion rings, mushrooms, eggplant, sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, asparagus spears or whatever your heart desires.

• Total Time: 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1.5 cups

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup ice water (if you desire a beer batter) or 1 cup beer (if you desire a beer batter)
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Directions:

1. Stir together flour, cornstarch and salt.
2. Make a well in the center.
3. Combine ice water or beer and egg yolk, beating with a fork or whisk until frothy.
4. Add all at once to dry ingredients.
5. Slowly stir just until moistened; DO NOT over stir,a few lumps should remain.
6. Fold in beaten egg whites.
7. Use batter immediately.
8. Heat oil or shortening to 400°F.
9. Add 1 teaspoon salt.
10. Dip fish, shrimp or vegetables into batter, swirling to coat.
11. Fry a few pieces at a time 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown.
12. Drain on paper towels.
13. Note: Make sure your vegetables are very very dry so the batter will stick better.

Reviews

[Mompix]

Fantastic!! I made this for the kids for a birthday dinner. Everyone, including my husband who does not usually prefer his shrimp breaded, liked this as well as the steamed shrimp I made. Stayed on the shrimp great. I just rinsed them to thaw them and then patted them dry a little, not each individual shrimp and it stayed on every shrimp in the deep fryer. I already put it in my cookbook so I could find it again.

[Jodid]

I used rice flour, only one egg white and only one TBSP of corn starch because the rice flour is pretty starchy as is. I'm making tempura for the third night in a row because this recipe is so good. Thank you!

[hotdrynoodlelover]

It got soggy too quick, it was bland, not crispy enough, too. It is a good base recipe. I used a cold Heineken but followed everything else perfectly. I think for future use I'll add some seasoning to help it out (1 tsp. garlic, 0.5 tsp paprika OR replace salt with 1 tbsp. of Adobo complete seasoning or Lawry's seasoned salt).

Regardless, I loved watching the egg yolk froth up when mixed with the beer, and having a similar effect when stirred into the flour. It's just a fun item to prepare. :)