Crispy Shrimp Tempura Donburi
A classic Japanese rice bowl topped with light, shatteringly crispy shrimp tempura, a savory-sweet tsuyu dipping sauce, and pickled vegetables. The secret is ice-cold batter and high-heat frying for the perfect crunch.
Ingredients
- 10 large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
- 2 cups cooked short-grain Japanese rice
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup ice-cold sparkling water
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- 1/2 cup dashi stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 daikon radish, grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- Nori strips for garnish
- Pickled ginger for serving
- Shichimi togarashi (seven spice) to taste
Instructions
- 1
Make the tsuyu sauce: Combine dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Keep warm.
- 2
Prepare shrimp by making 3-4 shallow cuts on the belly side to prevent curling. Pat completely dry with paper towels.
- 3
Fill a heavy pot with 2 inches of vegetable oil and heat to 340°F (170°C).
- 4
Make the tempura batter just before frying: Lightly whisk egg yolk into ice-cold sparkling water. Add flour all at once and stir briefly with chopsticks — the batter should be lumpy with visible flour streaks. Do not overmix.
- 5
Dust each shrimp lightly in flour, then dip into the cold batter, letting excess drip off.
- 6
Fry shrimp in batches of 3-4 for 2-3 minutes until pale golden and crispy. Drain on a wire rack.
- 7
Divide hot rice between 2 bowls. Arrange 5 tempura shrimp on top of each bowl. Drizzle with warm tsuyu sauce.
- 8
Garnish with grated daikon, fresh ginger, nori strips, and pickled ginger. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi and serve immediately while the tempura is still crispy.