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–+ servings

Perilla Leaf Tempura (3 ways)

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients 
 

  • 15 perilla leaves (shiso)
  • cooking oil neutral flavor for deep frying
  • cake flour or starch for dusting

Tempura Batter (see note)

  • 75 ml cold water chilled
  • 50 ml carbonated water chilled
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 15 g cornstarch
  • 75 g cake flour
  • ice cubes

Serving suggestion (optional)

  • salt

Instructions 

  • Before starting this recipe, be sure to chill all of the tempura ingredients thoroughly (including the dry ingredients - I put them in the freezer for 30 minutes).
    While you wait, gently wash 15 perilla leaves (shiso) in a bowl of cold water, pat dry with kitchen paper, and cut off the stems.
    Ooba leaves with the stems cut off on a wooden chopping board on a white background
  • Start heating your cooking oil to 170 °C (338 °F).
    heating oil in a pot to make tempura
  • When your oil is almost ready, take a mixing bowl and add 75 ml cold water, 50 ml carbonated water and 1 egg yolk straight from the fridge. Whisk gently until combined.
    whisking egg yolk and chilled water in a bowl to make tempura batter
  • Mix 15 g cornstarch and 75 g cake flour together in a small bowl, then add it to the egg mixture in 3 batches. Rather than whisking, use chopsticks to draw crosses in the mixture until there is no more dry flour. Lumps are perfectly okay, do not overmix.
    egg, water and flour in a bowl, drawing crosses in the mixture with chopsticks to make tempura batter
  • If you are making multiple batches or are in a warm environment, add a few ice cubes to the batter.
    tempura batter in a bowl with ice cubes

Single-Sided Perilla Leaf Tempura

  • Use a pastry brush to coat the backs of the leaves with a thin layer of cake flour.
    Brushing one side on an ooba (shiso/perilla) leaf with flour to help tempura batter stick
  • Once the oil is hot, press the floured side onto the surface of the tempura batter, then place it in the oil with the batter side facing down and fry for 45-60 seconds or until the bubbles have settled down.
    Coating one side of a Perilla leaf with tempura batter
  • Flip and fry the unbattered side for 15 seconds, then transfer to a wire rack to drain the excess oil.
    removing ooba tempura from pot of oil using red cooking chopsticks

Stacked Perilla Leaf Tempura

  • Brush both sides of the Perilla leaves with a thin layer of cake flour.
    brushing both sides of a Perilla leaf with flour to help tempura batter stick to the surface
  • Place one leaf on top of the tempura batter to coat one side, then place another leaf on top, using the batter as a glue. Repeat once more until you have 3 in one stack.
    sticking two perilla leaves together using tempura batter to make stacked ooba tempura
  • Dip the whole stack in the batter and then place it straight in the oil. Fry for 45-60 seconds on each side, and then transfer to a wire rack for a few minutes to drain excess oil.
    dipping stacked perilla leaves in tempura batter ready for deep frying

Rolled Perilla Leaf Tempura

  • Roll the Perilla leaves starting from the bottom (wider side). Pierce a toothpick through the middle to hold the roll in place.
    3 rolled perilla leaves on toothpicks on a wooden chopping board for tempura
  • Use a pastry brush to coat thoroughly with cake flour.
    Brushing rolled shiso/perilla leaves with flour to help tempura batter stick
  • Dip the leaves in the batter and place them in the oil. Fry for 45-60 seconds on each side.
    rolled ooba tempura frying in a Japanese tempura pot filled with oil
  • Rest on a wire rack for a few minutes to drain the excess oil.
    3 types of ooba tempura (shiso/Perilla leaf) on a wire rack to drain off excess oil
  • Serve with salt for dipping, or as part of a larger assortment of tempura. Enjoy!
    Three flat and three rolled ooba (shiso) tempura made with Perilla leaves on a brown/purple plate on a wooden background

Notes

  • This recipe is likely to have leftover tempura batter. Leftovers can be used for other ingredients such as shrimp, eggplant, sweet potato etc. You can also make your own tenkasu (tempura flakes) to serve with udon and soba.
  • For best results, fry other ingredients in separate batches of the same ingredients.
  • The egg yolk can be replaced with 2 tsp of egg mayonnaise (this is convenient if you want to half the recipe and use 1 tsp mayonnaise instead of half an egg yolk).
  • If you're looking for an eggless tempura batter, check out my shojin age recipe.
  • Serve Perilla Leaf Tempura with tempura rice bowl (tendon), kake udon or zaru soba.