Coming from a country whose cuisine is very unique and often mysterious to western audiences, Tempura is a surprisingly western style dish for Japanese food, though not without its unique charms. Tempura is simply any of a variety of seafoods - fish, shellfish, and cephalopods - and vegetables that have been doused in tempura batter and deep fried. Tempura batter itself is a simple affair, comprised mostly of cold water and soft wheat flower.
Sometimes starch, eggs, baking soda or powder, oils, or spices will also be added to modify the texture, consistency, and taste of the batter. It is then generally whisked for a short period of time, perhaps only a few seconds - just enough to mix the ingredients - with a small instrument, typically chop sticks. Unlike other, typically more viscous batters used in deep frying, tempura batter is intentionally allowed to keep a lumpy consistency. Between this and the consistently cold temperature of the batter, the result is that tempura batter is typically fluffier.
Otherwise, too high a temperature or too vigorous whisking will release gluten from the wheat flour which will give the batter a tougher, doughier consistency that is undesirable. Special flour is also available for the making of tempura batter that will not release gluten under these circumstances, essentially making the batter failure proof.
After tempura batter has been prepared, small, thin strips of vegetables and seafoods are dipped in the matter and fried for a short period. Typical seafoods are shrimp, scallops, squid, crab, and a variety of fishes, which are also fried along with vegetables like peppers, potatoes, mushrooms, and different species of squashes.
Canola or vegetable oil are both sufficient for frying, but traditional preparation demands that the ingredients dipped in tempura batter be friend in either sesame seed or tea seed oil. This should impart a more authentic flavor, and purists suggest that use of these oils results in a lighter, fluffier, crispier tempura batter after it's been fried. Also in contrast to American cuisine, great care is taken not to overcook the battered ingredients, lest their flavor be polluted. Measures are also taken to assure that lumps of tempura batter do not remain floating in the oil after ingredients have been fried.
This is to prevent the batter from becoming overfried in the oil and burning, leaving a bad taste in the oil that can in turn ruin ingredients yet to be fried. These lumps of tempura batter even have their own name, Tenkasu, and are themselves used as ingredients or as toppings in other dishes. Tempura is typically eaten almost immediately after frying. There are a variety of sauces that are traditionally used, where pieces are dipped using chop sticks. Other additives like sea salt and powdered green tea leaves are also common.
Author Resource:-
This article was written by Paul Wise. If you are looking for more information on
Tempura Batter
, Paul recommends visiting
http://www.sushimaven.com
They offer a wide selection of products for your many needs.
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