All recipes are for 2 servings unless noted. Oil is canola oil and salt is kosher salt.

2015-08-16

Ebi to okura, myoga no kakiage / mixed tempura with shrimp, okra and myoga ginger buds

A summery marriage of salty sweet shrimp, green okra and refreshing myoga ginger buds! Squeeze lemon over for a light, zesty finish. As deep-frying softens the sharp tang of myoga, this can be a good introductory dish for those who have hesitated to try the spicy little vegetable.



1/2 of recipe:
170 calories; 8.2 g protein; 10.5 g fat; 9.3 g carbohydrate; 7.8 g net carbs; 59 mg sodium; 62 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber


<Ingredients>
(4-6 kakiage pieces)

2 large or 3 medium myoga Japanese ginger buds (34 g in photo)
4 medium okra (44 g in photo)
Small handful shrimp (74 g shelled and cleaned with potato starch [90 g in shell] in photo)

For tempura batter
6 tbsp flour
2 tbsp katakuriko potato starch
1/4 egg
120-130 cc cold water

Flour (to dust veggies and shrimp; not in photo)
Oil for deep-frying (canola oil, or canola and 10-15% sesame oil mixture; not in photo)

Lemon (to serve/squeeze over)


<Directions>
1.

Julienne myoga.
Cut off stem ends and remove calix part of okra, and cut lengthwise into 6-8.

Sogigiri slice shrimp at a slant into 2-3.
Keep myoga, okra and shrimp in fridge until ready to cook. 

2.

In a prep bowl, mix flour and potato starch well.
Pour egg into water, mix, and pour into flour mixture.
 

Roughly mix (flour and liquid do not need to be fully incorporated).

3.
Start heating oil.


4.

Dust veggies and shrimp with flour, and quickly mix.


5.

Check oil (ready when fine bubbles vigorously come up from the tips of immersed bamboo chopsticks).

Put veggies and shrimp for 1 kakiage piece in a utensil, and mix with batter in one corner.
Tilt utensil to get rid of excess batter, and gently put into oil.

When bottom side becomes crispy, flip.
Immediately raise heat somewhat.

6.

Cook until both sides are crispy, lift tempura with one end still immersed in oil to draw it back into the pot, and remove while quickly shaking off excess oil.
Place on a plate or tray lined with paper towel.


7.

Serve hot with lemon wedges.

<Notes>
  • Okra tends to make batter gooey. For this reason, do not overly mix veggies and shrimp when dusting with flour before mixing with batter.
  • Other than lemon, salt or lemon salt is a good choice for serving. Tentsuyu tempura dipping sauce with lemon juice is probably good, too.
  • For tempura batter, 1/2 of the recipe above should be more than enough. The leftover batter can be made into tenkasu tempura pearls or savory pancakes.
  • See Notes on kani, shungiku, yurine no kakiage (mixed tempura with crabmeat, garland chrysanthemum and lily bulb) for additional tips on making kakiage.


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