Crispy Shrimp Tempura is a Japanese dish of shrimp dipped in a mixture of wheat flour diluted with cold water and then fried until cooked. This dish is very popular and many people love it because of its crunchy texture and light but delicious taste. The ingredients are simple so people can make it at home.
This time, we will make an easy Japanese-style dish. The ingredients are available at the market or supermarket, with time to prepare it for 15 minutes and cooking time for 30 minutes. Serving this dish is suitable for lunch.

Overview of the Dish
Ingredients for Making Dishes
One of the unique things about Tempura is the use of fresh and high-quality ingredients. Traditionally, Tempura is made with various ingredients such as seafood and vegetables. Some types of seafood that are often used include shrimp, squid, small fish, and shellfish. Meanwhile, vegetables are carrots, eggplant, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, shiitake mushrooms and green peppers.
The dough to cover these ingredients is also very important in making Tempura. The dough usually consists of wheat flour, baking soda, and ice water. When fried, the ratio of these ingredients must be right to produce a light and crispy dough. Ice water is useful for keeping the dough cold, which helps create a crispy texture when cooked in hot oil.

Technique for Cooking This Dish
Cooking this dish requires a fairly simple technique, but requires precision so that the results are perfect. The first process is to prepare the main ingredients by cleaning them well and cutting them to the appropriate size. After that, the ingredients are dipped into the mixture.
When frying, you must use very hot oil with a temperature of around 170-180 degrees Celsius. Frying ingredients at this temperature ensures the dish cooks quickly and produces a crispy, but not greasy, coating. One trick that is often used is not to stir the mixture too much so that it doesn’t become too heavy so that the tempura still has a light texture.

Once the dish is cooked, remove from heat and leave for a moment so that excess oil can drip off. Serving is simple and can be served with sauce or soy sauce. Some high-class restaurants in Japan even serve this dish only with special salt, so that the original taste of the ingredients used remains prominent.
Cooking Tips
Choose fresh main ingredients, use ice water to mix the dough, and don’t stir the dough for too long, it’s best to use special Tempura flour because it’s usually lighter than regular wheat flour so you get crispier results, fry in hot oil and in small quantities, drain well, serve immediately, add baking soda to make it crispier.

Crispy Shrimp Tempura Texture
Crispy on the Outside
The crispy outer layer of this dish is famous. The crunch is light and subtle, creating an effortless biting sensation. This crispy layer comes from thin dough fried in hot oil and is influenced by the use of ice water.
Soft on the Inside
The inside of dishes such as shrimp should remain soft and not dry. Shrimp will taste sweet and soft even though they have been fried. This happens because Tempura cooks quickly at high temperatures, so the outside is immediately crispy, while the inside remains soft and perfectly cooked.

The Specialty of This Dish
Simple but Effective Dough
Tempura batter consists of basic ingredients such as wheat flour, baking soda, and ice water. The simplicity of these ingredients results in a thin layer that can preserve the original taste of the main ingredients, seafood such as shrimp. Using ice water in the batter helps create a crispy texture when fried in hot oil.
Culture and Traditions
This dish has become part of Japan’s culinary identity. Tempura is not only an everyday food, but also a symbol of culinary skill that emphasizes quality and simplicity. Many fine dining restaurants in Japan specialize in tempura, where chefs spend years honing their skills.

Global Popularity
Apart from being popular in Japan, this dish has also won a place in the hearts of culinary lovers around the world. Finding Tempura is easy in international Japanese restaurants, and it has adapted to a variety of local tastes. Many people love the versatility and taste of this dish.
Let’s make a crunchy version of Shrimp Tempura!
Ingredients of Crispy Shrimp Tempura

- ¾ cup Flour: The main ingredient for making Tempura dough. This flour functions as a thin layer that coats the main ingredient, namely shrimp.
- 1 cup Cold Water: One of the key elements in Tempura batter. Using ice water or very cold water helps keep the batter light and crispy when frying.
- 1 tsp Vinegar: Can help the dough dry more quickly and become crispy when frying.
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda: Helps the dough become more hollow and crispy. It also increases the tenderness of the ingredients after frying, giving a crispier, less heavy finish.
- 15 Shrimp: The most common main ingredient in Tempura, mainly due to its sweet and soft texture, as well as its ability to absorb layers of batter well. Cooking shrimp is also easy and fast, making it suitable for tempura cooking techniques that involve frying for a short time.
How to Make Crispy Shrimp Tempura

First, peel (except the tail), slice the shrimp’s back, then remove the black vein. Rinse with water then lay it on a paper towel. Slice vertically the underbelly of the shrimps, about 5 slices then massage the shrimps until it makes a cracking sound.
Combine flour and cold water then mix with a chopstick until there is no lump. In a small mixing bowl, combine vinegar and baking soda then pour it into the batter and stir again until mix well. The consistency of the batter should not be too thick nor too liquid.


After that, coat the shrimp with flour and set aside. Heat cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, dip coated shrimp into the batter then fry one by one. Sprinkle some batter with your hand into the shrimp then cook until golden.

Lastly, remove from the pan and rest it on a cooling rack to remove excess oil. Make sure that the oil is clean before you fry the next tempura.
Serve it with dipping sauce and enjoy!
Nutritional Content in Dishes
Carbohydrates: Comes from wheat flour in the dough.
Protein: Shrimp is a good source of animal protein.
Vitamins and Minerals: Tempura made with fresh ingredients such as seafood provides some important vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and potassium. Meanwhile, shrimp are rich in selenium and vitamin B12.

Serving Recommendations
The right combination will enrich the experience of enjoying tempura, both in terms of taste and texture. Here are some foods that are suitable to eat with tempura.
Cooked White Rice: Cooked white rice is a classic accompaniment to tempura. The soft and neutral texture of rice makes it suitable to be enjoyed with crunchy and tasty tempura.
Soba or Udon: Serve Tempura often with soba or udon noodles. The soft and chewy noodles combine perfectly with the crunchy texture of Tempura.
Green Tea: Ocha or Japanese green tea is a drink suitable to serve with tempura. Green tea has a slightly bitter and refreshing taste, helping clear the oily taste in the mouth. It also adds a traditional Japanese touch to the dish.


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You can try making the recipe below!

Crispy Shrimp Tempura
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Flour
- 1 cup Cold Water
- 1 tsp Vinegar
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- 15 Shrimp
Instructions
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Peel (except the tail) and slice the shrimp's back then remove the black vein. Rinse with water then lay it on a paper towel. Slice vertically the underbelly of the shrimps, about 5 slices then massage the shrimps until its makes a cracking sound.
-
Combine flour and cold water then mix with a chopstick until there is no lump. In small mixing bowl, combine vinegar and baking soda then pour it into the batter and stir again until mix well. The consistency of the batter should not be too thick nor too liquid.
-
Coat shrimps with flour and set aside. Heat cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, dip coated shrimp into the batter then fry one by one. Sprinkle some batter with your hand into the shrimp then cook until golden.
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Remove from the pan and rest it on a cooling rack to remove excess oil. Make sure that the oil is clean before you fry the next tempura.
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Serve it with dipping sauce and enjoy!
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