The History of Tempura

1. The History of Tempura Tempura is a very popular Japanese dish in which seafood, meat, and vegetables are battered, deep fried, and served with rice and a dipping sauce. The term ‘tempura’ itself usually refers to the batter that ingredients are coated in. This batter can be homemade or store-bought in the form of tempura flour. Tempura flour is usually combined with egg and water to form a thick paste that transforms in a deep or air fryer to create a delicious, flaky outer coating. Wheredidtempuracomefrom? While tempura is traditionally a Japanese dish, its origins are actually Portuguese. In the 1600s, Portuguese and Spanish ministries introduced the concept of frying food to the Japanese, who until that point were unfamiliar with the technique of food preparation. Tempura was sold on the docks as a quick, easy, and nutritious snack option. Tempura quickly became a favourite of the Japanese, who moved fast to experiment with what foods could be fried. While initially meat, vegetables, and fish that had been minced was the most popular option, Japanese cooks began to expand their range of tempura ingredients to include whole foods — like an entire fish. Tempurafunfacts Tempura does not actually contain breadcrumbs, unlike many other popular deep fried foods. However, it’s advised that coeliac sufferers and those following a gluten free diet opt for specific tempura flour to avoid the risk of cross contamination. The word ‘tempura’ is believed to come from either the Portugese term ‘tempêro’ which means ‘seasoning’ or the Latin phrase ‘quator anni tempora’, a reference to the religious festival of Lent in which no meat can be eaten. Tempura is definitely a favourite dish in the United States, where January 7th is celebrated as National Tempura Day. Trythistempurarecipeyourself! Are you keen to recreate your favourite Japanese dish at home? This easy recipe will have you frying up a storm in no time. Ingredients: 1 cup tempura flour 1 egg, lightly whisked 1 cup soda water, chilled Vegetable oil 1 carrot, peeled and sliced ¼ butternut pumpkin, peeled and thinly sliced 1 red capsicum, quartered 1 small eggplant, thinly sliced 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed 300g green prawns, deveined Soy sauce, to serve Method: 1. 2. 3. Sift the tempura flour into a medium sized bowl. Make a well at the centre. Add the egg and soda water and gently mix. The mixture should still have lumps in it. Place the bowl into a larger bowl filled with iced water. In a large saucepan, add enough oil so that it reaches a depth of 6cm. Turn the heat to high. Dust a chopping board with extra tempura flour. Coat the vegetables one by one in the flour, before coating in the batter mixture. Shake off any excess batter and deep fry for approximately 3 minutes, until brown and tender. Repeat this process with the prawns, cooking for approximately 4 minutes. Place the vegetables and prawns on a serving platter and serve with soy sauce — enjoy! 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Source: https://www.casalare.com.au/