Name: How To Make Kakiage (Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura Fritters)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 250 g Shrimp (peeled and deveined); 1 Tbsp Potato Starch (for coating the shrimp); 30 g Carrot; 40 g Onion; 10 g Mitsuba (Japanese Parsley); 1.5 Tbsp All Purpose Flour (for coating the vegetables); 3 Tbsp All Purpose Flour (for the batter); 1 Tbsp Potato Starch (for the batter); 5~ Tbsp Ice Water (have bowl of ice water on standby); Salt, to taste; 3 Tbsp Mirin (for the dipping sauce); 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce; 100 ml Dashi

How To Make Kakiage (Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura Fritters)

Deep Frying Freezer Friendly Fried Food Main Potluck Friendly Shrimp Spring Summer Tempura Under 30 Minutes

If you have leftover vegetables or seafood in your fridge, why not try out our Kakiage recipe for dinner tonight?

Kakiage, a type of Tempura, is an authentic Japanese dish made with various vegetables such as onion and carrot or seafood like small shrimp, lightly coated in a batter made from all-purpose flour. The essence of Kakiage lies in deep-frying these ingredients, which have different textures or flavors, together as a single chunk.

Achieving the crispy exterior, which is the highlight of this dish, can be the most challenging part. To create this light, crispy, and crunchy texture, there are some tips you should keep in mind. We are going to share them with you.

Use cold water: When making Kakiage (or Tempura) batter, it’s better to use cold water to prevent the gluten from combining together. Similarly, avoid stirring the batter too much for the same reason.

Cut the ingredients evenly: Especially for the vegetables, try to cut them evenly as much as possible to ensure that the heat is distributed evenly.
Deep-frying carefully: To keep the ingredients and batter together while frying, maintain them in a cohesive portion. You can use a ladle or cooking sheet for this purpose. If the ingredients separate in the oil, use chopsticks to hold them together and maintain the shape. The ideal frying temperature is 170-180℃. When adding the ingredients to the frying oil, drop them sliding from the edge of the pot.

By following these tips, you can make perfect Kakiage for sure!

While Kakiage is delectable on its own, you can also enjoy it paired with other ingredients or dishes. For example, it pairs well with Japanese noodles such as Soba and Udon. Additionally, when combined with steamed rice and sweetened soy sauce-based seasonings, you can create Tendon, another authentic Japanese dish.

Feel free to enjoy Kakiage with your favorite ingredients!

Overview

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Total servings: 2

Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

250 g Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 Tbsp Potato Starch (for coating the shrimp)
30 g Carrot
40 g Onion
10 g Mitsuba (Japanese Parsley)
1.5 Tbsp All Purpose Flour (for coating the vegetables)
3 Tbsp All Purpose Flour (for the batter)
1 Tbsp Potato Starch (for the batter)
5~ Tbsp Ice Water (have bowl of ice water on standby)
Salt, to taste
3 Tbsp Mirin (for the dipping sauce)
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
100 ml Dashi

Expert's Tip

P-1-NNBN-GLDTYU-300-Ninben Gold Tsuyu Natural Tempura Sauce 300ml.jpg

When eating Tempura or Kakiage, you need dipping sauce. This product is a ready-made Tempura sauce that already includes some Japanese seasonings. It is made with organic soy sauce, Japanese bonito flakes, mackerel broth, shiitake mushrooms, and Hokkaido kombu. Enjoy this flavorful sauce with your homemade Tempura or Kakiage!

Instructions

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1) Gathering the Ingredients

Gather the ingredients together.

2) Cutting the Vegetables

Cut the ingredients as follows:

Carrot: Cut it into strips.
Onion: Cut it into thin slices.
Mitsuba: Cut it into bite-size pieces.

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3) Preparing the Shrimp

Prepare a bowl. Add the shrimp and potato starch, and mix them together to clean the shrimp.

Then rinse them with tap water and remove the excess water with paper towels.

4) Coating the Shrimp and Vegetables in Flour

Combine the ingredients in a bowl. Add 1.5 tbsp of all-purpose flour and lightly mix it until the flour is still visible.

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5) Preparing the Kakiage Batter

Prepare a bowl and add all-purpose flour and potato starch. Mix them together using a whisk. In another bowl, add 5 tbsp of cold water. Gradually add the powder mixture to the cold water and lightly stir to make batter.

pouring kakiage batter over the ingredients

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6) Deep-frying the Kakiage

Heat the cooking oil until the temperature reaches 170-180℃.

Take one portion of the prepared ingredients and lightly coat them with the batter. Scoop up the coated portion and drop it from the edge of the pot.

Maintain the shape, and once the ingredients come together tightly, deep-fry for 1-2 minutes without touching. Flip it over and deep-fry for another 1-2 minutes.

Drain the excess oil on a draining rack with a tray.

7) Making the Dipping Sauce

Prepare a pot and add soy sauce, mirin, and dashi. Heat the sauce until boiling. Pour the mixture into the serving bowls.

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8) Serving Kakiage

When eating, dip the kakiage in the sauce or salt to your preference. Enjoy freshly made Kakiage at home!

About the author

Megumi Moriya

Megumi is a recipe writer based in Chiba, Japan. She carries a Bachelor in the Faculty of Foreign Studies and is interested in creating content about Japanese cuisine and traditional confectioneries. Megumi is most interested in making Japanese recipe content, and in her free time, she likes to play the piano, make handcrafted goods, and hula dance. She hopes to inspire Japanese Taste readers to make Japanese recipes at home and of course share more about Japanese culture.

View articles by Megumi Moriya