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3 ways to make eggplant tempura served with tentsuyu tempura dipping sauce

3 Ways to Make Eggplant Tempura

5 from 1 vote
By Yuto Omura
https://sudachirecipes.com
Eggplant is one of my favorite tempura ingredients. Learn three different ways to cut and prepare eggplant and enjoy this versatile vegetable's different looks and textures!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Chilling Time30 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course Appetizers, Sides
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Course: Appetizers, Sides
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

  • 100 ml cold water
  • 50 ml sparkling water
  • 15 g potato starch or corn starch
  • 75 g cake flour or all purpose + extra for dusting
  • 250 g eggplant(s) alternatives: Chinese eggplant or Italian eggplant
  • ½ tbsp Japanese mayonnaise or half a small whisked egg
  • 2 ice cubes optional
  • cooking oil for frying

Instructions 

  • Measure out 100 ml cold water into a jug and place it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Place sparkling water in the fridge too. (Preferably an unopened bottle.)
    Still water in a jug and sparkling water in a sealed bottle
  • Sift 15 g potato starch and 75 g cake flour into a bowl. Mix them together and place the bowl in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
    Sifting dry ingredients for tempura batter into a mixing bowl
  • While your tempura batter ingredients are chilling, cut 250 g eggplant(s) according to your preferred method in the post above.
    3 ways to cut eggplant for tempura (thin slices, thick rounds and fans)
  • If using suehiro cut or thick rounds, soak the eggplant in cold water with a sprinkle of salt for 5-10 minutes. If using thin slices, sprinkle the surface with salt.
    cut eggplant in a bowl of water
  • Once your batter ingredients have been chilling in the fridge for 30 minutes, start preheating your oil to 175 °C (347 °F).
    heating oil in a pot to make tempura
  • In a bowl (or jug), add a few tbsp of the chilled water and ½ tbsp Japanese mayonnaise. Mix until well combined to loosen up the mayo, then pour the rest of the chilled water and 50 ml sparkling water into the bowl.
    chilled water in a bowl to make tempura
  • Add the flour/starch one-third at a time, gently drawing crosses through the mixture with the chopsticks to incorporate it. (Do not whisk or over-mix, it's fine for tempura batter to have lumps.)
    whisking dry ingredients into egg mixture with chopsticks to make tempura batter
  • Add 2 ice cubes to the batter and mix to make it extra cold. (optional)
    tempura batter with ice cubes
  • Test your oil by adding a drop of batter, if it sizzles and floats you're ready to fry. Alternatively, check the temperature with a thermometer. Once the oil is hot, dry the eggplant pieces with kitchen paper and dust them with a thin layer of flour.
    cut eggplant coated with flour
  • Dip them in the batter and then carefully place them into the oil. Make sure not to overfill the pot. (Keep the batter in the fridge between batches.) For suehiro cut or thick rounds, deep fry for about 1 minute on each side. For thin slices, fry for 30 seconds on each side or until crispy.
    frying eggplant tempura in oil
  • Once cooked, place on a wire rack to allow the excess oil to drip off.
    eggplant tempura on a wire rack
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Enjoy eggplant tempura with tentsuyu sauce or dipped in salt.
Eggplant tempura can be eaten as a side or served on top of udon noodles, soba noodles or on top of rice (tendon/tempura donburi).