A tryst with Japanese cuisine - Ayah’s Tempura
I have written before about the fabulous food at the parties Ayah and Aiyah hosted, particularly for our birthdays. This week, I attempt one of Ayah’s recipes from those parties – one I have always balked from. Tempura, a colourful mixture of shredded vegetables fried to crispy perfection in a light tempura batter – Ayah’s version of what the Japanese would call Kakiage. If I were to guess, I’d say she picked up the recipe from a magazine at some point in time and it soon became one of her go to party starters, another recipe for which she became known.
Ayah’s version of the tempura always included prawns, the tiny salad size ones which I believe Americans call shrimp. By the way, I’ve always wondered whether prawns and shrimp are the same – for the purposes of this dish they are, although, I do believe there are scientific differences which you’re welcome to look up. Of course, these distinctions were meaningless in those days when the only prawns we got were the tiny ones. When the larger jumbo prawns were introduced to the Indian market, Aiyah, the gourmet who believed that the smaller the prawn the more flavour it packed, scoffed at the gullible patrons who paid exorbitant prices for what he thought were ‘tasteless’ morsels!
While attempting this recipe, I was swamped by long forgotten memories of parties at home. The Muthiah kitchen in readiness for a party was a sight to be seen. Out came the precious good crockery, cutlery and glassware from their secret hiding place, the key to which Ayah and only Ayah had access, and woe betide anyone who broke a plate or a glass before it was returned back to the sanctum! Of course, Ayah always had a cook at hand to help her in the kitchen, and every spare hand including yours truly was roped in to help, but her right hand in all these preparations was our chauffeur, Malairaj Annan, maître d’ par excellence whose knife skills also happen to be unmatched. Avarillenna Ayahkku kaiyum odaathu, kaalum odaathu (literally translates to without him, Ayah’s hands and legs wouldn’t work, meaning he was indispensable)! Without him, the tempuras and springrolls and fruit salad would’ve never been made, nor would our guests have felt as welcome. Malairaj Annan is happily retired now, running after his brood of grandchildren, but still reminisces about his beloved Annan and Achi and the Fiat cars that they were partial to.
Back to the party - the party fare was an eclectic mix of food, a potpourri of traditional Chettiar food and international recipes, something to satisfy everyone. While the traditionalists chose to stick to the paniyarams and mini idlis, the more adventurous chose to try the cheese balls, spring rolls and tempuras. Tempuras always bring back memories of my cousin, one of the braver lot, who found that fortune does not always favour the brave, when he had an allergic reaction to prawn which he was trying for the first time. Uncomfortable though it was, thankfully it wasn’t anaphylactic, and the incident has since become a topic of conversation every time we get together. Needless to say, thereafter, he always approached any new food with trepidation. That unsavoury event apart, I do believe that many a cousin would swear by the food they’ve been introduced to at Ayah’s table, dishes that Aiyah’s stern glare would be enough to get them to try.
I have always believed that the recipe for Ayah’s tempura was one of the lost recipes and scoured the internet for something that would satisfy my memory of Ayah’s version. Unfortunately, authentic though they may be, none of the recipes worked. I even coerced the young apprentice, who isn’t a shrimp fan, to test a vegetarian version before he left for college, and much coercion it took, given the Malairaj Annan-like knife skills required in shredding the vegetables. Fortunately, his love for fried food won out. Unfortunately, while it was tasty enough (his verdict), to me it didn’t look like Ayah’s version. And so, the search continued, until, duh me, I discovered the recipe hidden in her torn and tattered cookbook! Tempura pancakes with basic brown noodles in a soya sauce broth, it said. While I’m still trying to figure out what basic brown noodles in a soya sauce broth is, since she’d never made it, I attempted the tempura, and wonder of wonders, it worked. Once I made it, I realized the secret ingredient she used that gave it a unique flavour, one that no true Japanese would use in kakiage or tempura – ginger. So, forgive me, if you’re Japanese and scandalised by this version.
We hope you enjoy Ayah’s version of Tempura. For an eggetarian version, leave out the prawns entirely or substitute with firm tofu. I’m still looking for a vegetarian version that works – will update when I do find one.
Notes:
1. While the traditional kakiage tempura is made only with mixed vegetables, Ayah's version included prawns. Feel free to omit or substitute with strips of firm tofu.
2. While I used cabbage, carrots and peas with a smattering of garlic chives, you can use pretty much any vegetables that fry well. Onions, green beans, potatoes and burdock root are some examples of what you can use. Just make sure that all the vegetables add up to 2 1/2 cups for the proportions given in this recipe.
3. If you're uncertain of your knife skills in shredding the vegetables finely, a good mandoline grater can give you the same results.
4. There are a few different ways to pick up the tempura batter and drop it into the hot oil - while I started out with chopsticks, I ended up with what Ayah used to do - pick the batter up with her fingers and drop it in.
5. This recipe makes about 20 - 30 tempuras, depending on whether you're making them pancake size or bite-sized. The recipe can be halved if you'd like to make less. Unfortunately, the batter does not store well and needs to be used fairly quickly after it is mixed. The tempuras also need to be served piping hot else they become soggy.
Ingredients:
1 cup of shredded carrots (cut into thin long strips, like a matchstick)
1 cup shredded cabbage (same size as carrot)
½ cup of baby green peas, defrosted
A few spring onion greens / garlic chives, cut into 1-inch long pieces
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
Oil for frying (~400 ml)
Optional: ½ cup of fresh or frozen prawns or shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into ½ inch pieces; alternatively, omit or substitute with strips of firm tofu
Batter:
1 egg yolk
2 cups ice cold water (add ice cubes if needed)
1 ⅔ cup + ¼ cup plain flour
⅛ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1 tsp salt
Method:
1. Preparing the ingredients:
(i) Shred the vegetables. Defrost the peas if using frozen. If using fresh baby peas (make sure they are young and tender), cook in boiling water for 2 minutes and then steep in cold water for a minute, drain.
1 cup of shredded carrots (cut into thin long strips, like a matchstick)
1 cup shredded cabbage (same size as carrot)
½ cup of baby green peas, defrosted
A few spring onion greens / garlic chives, cut into 1-inch long pieces
(ii) Finely grate the ginger.
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
(iii) If using frozen prawns, defrost. Peel, devein and wash the shrimps. Chop roughly into ½ inch pieces.
Optional: ½ cup of fresh or frozen prawns or shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into ½ inch pieces; alternatively, omit or substitute with strips of firm tofu
(iv) Heat the oil in a deep frying pan - fill up to 3/4th of the pan.
Oil for frying (~400 ml)
2. Preparing the batter:
(i) While the oil is heating, mix the tempura batter. Take the water in a large bowl. Separate the egg white and yolk. You can reserve the egg white for another dish. Beat the egg yolk in the water.
1 egg yolk
2 cups ice cold water (add ice cubes if needed)
(ii) Sieve 1 2/3 cup of the plain flour, baking soda and salt into the egg water mixture and mix in using a fork or a pair of chopsticks. It is ok if the mixture is a bit lumpy.
1 ⅔ cup
⅛ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1 tsp salt
(iii) Add the ginger, vegetables and prawns into the mixture and mix in gently until well coated.
(iv) Sieve the remaining ¼ cup plain flour over the tempura mixture and mix in gently. Make sure not to over mix. It is ok to have a few dry bits of flour visible.
¼ cup plain flour
3. Frying the tempura
(i) Check if the oil is hot enough – if you drop a bit of the batter into the pan, it should rise up really quickly and start bubbling.
(ii) Picking up the tempura batter – there are a few ways to do this. Whichever way you choose, make sure you get an assortment of vegetables and prawns in each tempura.
Option 1 - Use a pair of chopsticks to pick up some of the mixture and drop it into the hot oil.
Option 2 - Use a fork to push some of the batter onto a slotted spoon and slide it into the hot oil.
Option 3 - Use your hands to pick up the batter and drop it into the hot oil – professional chefs would cringe, but both Ayah and I resorted to this in the end. I feel it gives better control of the size of the tempura, especially if you want to make bite sized ones for parties.
(iii) The tempura batter will spread upon hitting the oil – don’t worry. Let it cook for about 30 seconds on one side before turning – if you turn it too fast, the batter will be uncooked and stick to the spoon and the tempura may break. Cook for another 30 seconds on the other side. Remove when golden brown on both sides. Adjust the heat – reduce if the tempura is browning too quickly, increase if it is cooking too slow and absorbing too much oil. If the tempura spreads too much in the oil, feel free to add up to another tablespoon of flour to the batter, but cautiously as you don’t want it to become too dense.
(iv) Depending on how big your frying pan is and the size of the tempuras you’re making, you can fry more than one at a time, but make sure not to overcrowd else the tempuras won’t be crisp and will become oily.
(v) Remove from oil, drain and serve hot with soy sauce or tempura sauce. For the tempura sauce, I adapted this recipe, using ingredients I had in my pantry (substituted dashi with plain water, mirin with Chinese rice wine and skipped the daikon).
Makes: 20-30 pieces, depending on the size
Apprentice Rating: Hard
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