I add Shiso leaves because I believe the Shiso is the best garnish ever. It gives bright green colour to this dull coloured tempura and a basil like flavour to the Kakiage tempura. Onion and carrots are usually used in Kakiage tempura but you can use any vegetables. I really like adding sweetpotato because it gives a little bit of sweetness. Gobou (burdock) and Renkon (lotus roots) will be great to add to Kakiage tempura too.
When I don’t have time, I just eat tempura with soy sauce but if you have time, I recommend you to make special tempura dipping sauce. Tempura dipping sauce is called “Tentsuyu” which is packed with Umani of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. Tentsuyu’s subtle flavour is the best match with Tempura. Japanese people often eat Tempura with finely grated Dikon raddish which makes Tempura light and delicious. Or you can have Kakiage tempura just simply with salt. There are many types of flavoured salt that you may be able to find. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- ½ Carrot
- ¼ sweet potato
- 3 Shiso leaves
- 5 tbs plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 100 ml water
- 50 ml Oil for deep frying *1
Instructions
- Peal and cut the onion in half, then slice thinly. Cut the carrot into sticks and put them aside. Cut the shiso leaves thinly. Cut the sweet potato into sticks same as the carrot.
- Place the sliced vegetables in a bowl and coat with 2tbs flour.
- Place the flour and salt in a separate bowl and pour in the water, mix them together but try not to mix them too much to avoid the batter becoming glutinous.
- Add the sliced vegetables and mix them with batter, try not to over mix.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan to 170 degree.
- Scoop the mixture with a radle and with a pair of chopsticks, slide the batter and vegetable mixture into the oil gently.
- Deep fry the batter till golden brown on both sides.
- Serve with salt or tempura dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi Shihoko-san,
I love kakiage.
Your kakiage looks very cripy which is wonferful. I sometimes make kakiage but I never coated vegetables with flour before mixing in the batter. Could that also be contributing to the crispy tempura?
Konnichiwa Yumiko san 😀 Yes, me too, my favourite actually. Yes, coating with flour before makes it crispier 😀 By the way, I love your blog! so beautiful. I have a few questions, I will send you an email 😀
Could you please add the mayonnaise to the ingredients and instructions?
This looks perfect and I would like to use the tips you mentioned
Hi Anita 😀 Thank you so much for pointing it out. Adding mayonnaise is the point to have crispy tempura and I forgot to include it in the recipe >_<. I will fix it this weekend.
Hi Anita, I have to change the recipe card as it is not letting me to edit. It will take a while. Meantime, please add 1 tbs of Japanese mayonnaise and add mayonnaise when you mix flour, salt and water in a separate ball in step 3.
all kinds of tempura is my favorite good work!
me too I love tempura! thank you 😀
Hi. Japanese chef . Do you use tempura flour? In the ingredients it just says plain flour.
Hi Joshua, I am not sure what tempura flour is. In Japan, we just use plain flour for making batter 😀
Dear Shihoko-San,
I understand that you use plain flour, but what kind exactly? Rice flour or wheat, or…? I will test the mayo! :-)Thank you.
Hi Matt san 😀 It is Wheat Flour (Komugiko in Japanese). Hope this help 😀
i dont believe you ever included how much and when to include the mao. thanks
Thank you Bobby! You are so right. I mentioned Mayo is my secret ingredient and did not include it in the recipe. I am updating all old posts gradually. This will be fixed very soon too. Thanks again.