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Category Archives: Tempura


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Cod Tempura

Today I introduce you to “Cod Tempura”. 

Cod has soft white non-fatty meat and a light taste. It is high in good protein and vitamin B12. In Japan we use Cod a lot for homemade dishes. For example, hotpot dishes, simmered dishes, fried dishes and so on. 

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I would like to talk about Tempura a little bit. At many restaurants in the US, tempura has a very thick and seasoned batter. But Authentic tempura has thin, crunchy and unseasoned batter to enjoy the taste of the fresh ingredients. When we eat tempura, we can spread a little bit of salt or dip into a light dashi sauce which comes with it.

In this recipe, I don’t use any seasoning, but if you want, you can use some salt when you eat it.

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The recipe is

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Cut cod and dredge with some flour. Mix egg, cold water and flour as batter and dip the cod into the batter. fry for 4 minutes.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Cod Tempura

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Ingredients (Servings 2)

2 Cod Fillets 

½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. Flour

½ cup Cold Water

1 Egg

Vegetable Oil for frying

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Cod Tempura

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Okra Tempura (Vegetarian)

Today I introduce you to Okra Tempura. This tempura dish has a different texture from the fried-okra you may find in the U.S.  The tempura batter is crunchy but not thick. I season it with just sea salt when I eat it so I can enjoy the taste of okra.

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My mother used okra in her meals a lot because of the  nutrition. Inside, okra has a gooey texture from the pectin (a soluble fiber) and mucin (a protein). These two nutrients improve our digestion. Okra is also high in beta-carotene, minerals, vitamins and so on.

About my tempura batter, I always try to make tempura with a great crunchy (not greasy) texture because it is more delicious. In this recipe, I show you how to make  the best batter for crunchy tempura. I hope you like it.

{Ingredients (servings 2 as side dish)}

10~16 Okura

1 Egg

½ cup Cold Water

½ cup Flour

Vegetable Oil for frying

Here is my recipe in PDF (4 MB): Okra Tempura


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Vegetable Mix Tempura (Vegan/Vegetarian)

“Vegetable Mix Tempura”, which is called “Kakiage” in Japanese, is a traditional Japanese recipe. We enjoy this tempura on steamed rice, on Japanese Soba noodle, on Japanese Udon noodle, or just the tempura itself.

In Japan, people always try to make the tempura with a great crunchy texture. With this recipe, you can cook crunchy tempura easily. The seasoning is only salt, the vegetables are tender and the batter is crunchy so you can really enjoy more vegetables. Also, the recipe is very simple. I just use 1 skillet, 1 bowl, a cutting board and a knife. So If you have kids who don’t like vegetables very much, you might want to try to cook this recipe!

Enjoy!!

{Ingredients (servings 4)}

1 large Onion

4 oz. Shiitake Mushrooms

1 Carrot

½ American Eggplant

½ cup Flour

5 Tbsp. Cold Ice Water

Vegetable Oil for Frying

Here is my recipe in PDF (5 MB): Vegetable Mix Tempura


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Eggplant Tempura (Vegetarian)

I am sure many people think Japanese food = Tempura and Sushi.

Today I will teach you how to make Tempura with eggplant.

Once you see this recipe, you can make any kind of Tempura, such as shrimp, squid, fish and many kinds of vegetables, whatever you want.

I chose eggplant this time because it is my favorite Tempura. I like the juicy texture, light sweet taste and  low calories!! Eggplant also has polyphenol which works as an antioxident. So it is a good food to eat to help you stay healthy.

Japanese don’t eat Tempura so often because it is deep-fried, and not very healthy if we eat it every day.

{Ingredients (for 2 people)}

・½ American Eggplant

・1 cup Flour

・1 Egg

・1 cup Cold Water

・10 Ice Cubes

・3 ½ cups Vegetable Oil

Here is my recipe in PDF: Tempura