Gluten Free Tempura Batter Recipes

TEMPURA BATTER - GLUTEN FREE

Steps:

• TO MAKE BATTER.
• Pour the beaten egg into a measuring jug and add enough icy cold water to make up to 300ml. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the flour and mix roughly & lighlty with a fork. Do not beat the mixture, it should remain lumpy looking. Add a few ice-cubes to keep the batter cool.
• TO USE BATTER.
• Have your selection to be battered prepared before you make the tempura batter. Ensure you oil is to temperature approx 175°C or 350°F degrees.
• A mixture of 3 parts vegetable or olive oil to 1 part sesame oil gives a great flavour.
• Lightly dip selection to be battered in a gluten-free flour to coat, then dip into the tempura batter mixture and straight into the hot oil. Slowly add the battered pieces into the oil. Fry very small batches at a time. Dip fry until the batter is crisp. Drain on a wire rack.

TEMPURA

Steps:

• Combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then, lower the heat and let it simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Follow these instructions to straighten the shrimp, so it looks gorgeous. Pat the shrimp dry and make sure the moisture is completely removed from the shrimp.
• Cut all the vegetables (except the eggplant) ¼-inch thick. For the eggplant, cut off and discard the stem and calyx, then cut it in half lengthwise. With the cut side flat on the cutting board, cut the eggplant lengthwise into very thin slices (about ⅛ inch or 3 mm), being careful to leave the bottom tip intact by 1 inch (2.5 cm) so the slices stay connected. Then, gently press down on the slices to fan them out. Repeat with the other eggplant half.
• In a medium-sized pot, heat 1½ inches to 2 inches (3-5 cm) of the oil to 350°F (180°C).
• While the oil is heating up, start preparing the tempura batter. Add the egg and the iced water into a 2-cup measuring cup (or any bowl). Whisk the egg mixture vigorously and discard the foam on the surface.
• Sift the flour into a large bowl. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour. Mix the batter, but do not overmix; it's okay to leave some lumps in the batter. Keep the batter cold at all times (store it in the refrigerator if needed). Make the batter right before deep-frying to avoid activating the wheat gluten.
• Check the oil temperature with a thermometer to make sure the oil is 350°F (180°C). You can also use wooden chopsticks to check; when you dip your chopsticks in the oil and see small bubbles forming, it's ready for deep-frying. Please note that sweet potatoes and kabocha require a lower cooking temperature (320ºF/160℃). If you want to read more deep-frying tips, please read this post.
• Deep-fry starting with the cleaner and less astringent ingredients. For example, the cooking order would be shiso first, followed by the mushrooms, eggplant, shrimp, sweet potatoes, and kabocha. Make sure your ingredients are dry before dipping them in the batter; if they're wet, dry them with a paper towel first. While the tempura is frying, the moisture from the ingredients will evaporate and the tempura will become crispy. However, if the ingredients have extra moisture, the tempura will become soggy after deep-frying.
• When the oil reaches the right temperature, dip one piece of vegetable or shrimp in the batter, let the excess drip off for a second or two, and very gently place it into the hot oil. Continue dipping and adding one piece at a time. For the shrimp, sprinkle some flour or potato starch (or cornstarch) over it before dipping to help the tempura batter adhere. For the shiso leaves, sprinkle a bit of sifted flour on the back of the leaf, dip only the back of the leaf into the batter, and deep-fry for 15 seconds. The flour acts as a glue and the batter tends to stay on the ingredients better.
• Deep-fry the ingredients until golden brown. Do not crowd the pot because the oil temperature will drop quickly. Remember, your ingredients should take up no more than about half of the oil surface area at any one time. Here's the rough cooking time for each of the ingredients: Shiso (350ºF/180ºC, 20-30 seconds), mushrooms (350ºF/180ºC, 1 min), eggplant (350ºF/180ºC, 1 min), shrimp (350ºF/180ºC, 2 minutes), sweet potatoes (320ºF/160℃, 3 mins), and kabocha (320ºF/160℃, 2-3 mins). Note that sweet potatoes and kabocha require a lower cooking temperature than the rest of the tempura ingredients.
• Transfer the tempura to a wire rack or a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
• Between batches, clean the oil by scooping up the crumbs (called tenkasu), which will burn and turn the oil darker if left in the pot.
• Grate the daikon and squeeze the liquid out. Prepare 3-4 Tbsp of warm tentsuyu in individual small bowls and serve the grated daikon on the side.
• Put 1 Tbsp of the grated daikon in the sauce and dip the tempura in the sauce to enjoy.
• You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and in the freezer for 2 weeks. Reheat the tempura at 350ºF (180ºC) in the oven until warm and crisp.

GLUTEN FREE TEMPURA BATTER

Steps:

• Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
• Mix liquid ingredients in separate bowl.
• Combine dry and liquid ingredients and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• For chicken balls, dip 1/2" cubes of pre-cooked chicken in batter.
• Drop battered chicken balls into deep fryer preheated to 375°F.
• Cook until golden brown.
• As you are cooking the chicken balls, occasionally skim the stray bits of crisp batter from the oil. They make a wonderful crispy accent to a salad.

KETO TEMPURA

Steps:

• Slice and cut the veggies the way you want.
• Heat the oil between 160-170C or 320-340F.
• Add the tempura batter to a bowl and whisk vigorously for a good minute *important* this will ensure there are no more 'flour' bumps. The batter should be a light creamy yellow.
• Dip your veggies and shrimps inside the batter, coat nicely and fry in the preheated oil on both sides until cooked through and the batter is golden brown. Transfer to a grill or some kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.*If you let the batter sit for a while, make sure to whisk it back together for 20 seconds or so to ensure perfect consistency in you tempura every time.

GLUTEN-FREE FISH AND CHIPS WITH MINTY PEAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
• Cut the potatoes into 1cm/½in thick slices, then into 1cm/½in wide sticks.
• Place in a saucepan and pour on enough cold water to just cover. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes until just tender but still firm. (This means the finished chips will be cooked through and slightly fluffy in the middle, but crispy on the outside.)
• Drain carefully and tip out onto kitchen roll or a tea towel and pat dry.
• Pour 4 teaspoons of the oil onto a large roasting tray, season with salt and pepper then add the potatoes and toss gently until they are fully coated. Roast for 15-20 minutes until golden-brown, crisp and cooked through.
• While the chips cook, prepare the fish. Tip the flour into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the water gradually, stirring all the time - you want a thick batter, about the consistency of double cream. Once it comes together, don't keep mixing it - you want it to be lovely and light.
• Dip the fish into the batter, coating both sides, making sure that the fish is totally coated.
• Heat a large frying pan until hot, add the remaining rapeseed oil and when it is very hot, add the fish, laying it down away from you so the oil doesn't spray up at you. Cook on one side until the batter has just puffed up and turned light golden-brown then flip over and cook on the other side. You will need to cook for 2-3 minutes on each side then lift the fish out onto parchment paper to drain - not kitchen roll as it will stick!
• Bring a small pan of water to the boil, add the peas and simmer for 2-3 minutes until hot through. Drain and return to the saucepan with the chopped mint, then, using a potato masher, mash the peas gently a little until they burst.
• Stir in the crème fraîche and season with salt and pepper.
• Drain both the chips and fish onto kitchen paper to remove any excess oil then serve straightway with the minted peas alongside.