Tempura Batter: The basics and how to make it - Gulf Coast Blenders (2024)

• What is tempura batter made of?
• What makes tempura batter different?
• How do you make tempura batter from scratch?
• What substitutes can I use for a tempura batter binder?
• How do you cook with tempura batter?
• How healthy is tempura?
• Why is my tempura not crispy?

A simple and traditional tempura batter is typically made of ice water, flour, and egg yolks.

Variants of tempura batter are sometimes made with soda water, baking soda, cornstarch, potato starch, or rice flour to enhance the crispy texture.

Tempura is different from Panko Japanese breadcrumbs or normal breading batters. Tempura is known for being lighter in texture and is prepared differently.

It is prepared with very cold water and should not be over mixed. Other batters are great for fried food but tempura is famous for its light and crispy texture.

The first step to making tempura is sifting your dry ingredients in one bowl and mixing ice water with egg yolk in a separate bowl. Be sure to not over mix the batter! Then combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients until the mixture is slightly lumpy.

Once mixed, you’ll have a tempura batter ready for whatever you want to fry. If you’re not planning to use it right away, keep it refrigerated until use.

For restaurants that are looking for a quick, low-sodium substitute for the egg yolk used in the tempura batter, Gulf Coast Blenders’ offers a Batter Binder that fits the bill.

Batter Binder, appropriately called, is that egg and milk wash alternative. It’s a combination of ingredients when mixed with water aids in adhesion, hence, binds the batter breading to the fried item. What’s more, it enhances crispness to whatever you’re frying – vegetables, seafood, chicken, pork, anything fryable.

As a leader for more than 30 years, Gulf Coast Blender’s premium production process has manufactured some of the finest dry ingredient blends in the nation.

Once your batter is prepared, you should prepare whatever ingredients you intend to fry. The most popular products for tempura are shrimp and root vegetables.

Once prepared, dip your ingredients into your batter and immediately drop into hot oil (between 340F and 360F). Vegetable oil or other common frying oils work perfect for tempura.

Don’t over dip your product into your batter because this can lead to it becoming too soft and mushy. Let fry until golden brown and remove from oil and place on a paper towel, this helps remove excess grease and helps the tempura retain it’s texture.

Pro tip:

Lightly coat your product with cake flour before dipping, this will help your batter adhere better while frying.

Some chefs say the secret to crispy tempura is ensuring that the water you use is ice cold and to use chopsticks while mixing the batter. Using chopsticks to mix will prevent too much air from entering the batter and will result in a crispier fry.

Protip:

Tempura deep fried foods pair really well with most dipping sauces, you can create a simple one with soy sauce, sesame oil, grated daikon, and mirin.