Best Tempura Fried Okra Recipes

TEMPURA FRIED OKRA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
• Wash the okra, drain thoroughly and pat dry. Cut off the ends of the okra, and then cut the okra crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper and set aside.
• Place the cornstarch in a small bowl.
• When the oil is hot, add the hot sauce and ice water to the spiced flour. Gently mix; there will be some small lumps.
• Skewer the okra pieces through the middle of the flesh, leaving enough room between each piece of okra so they can fry individually. Repeat with remaining okra. Dredge the skewers through the cornstarch. Place into the tempura batter and then immediately and carefully into the hot oil.
• Fry the okra in batches until browned, 4 to 6 minutes for each batch. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with the reserved salt and spice mixture and serve immediately with Spicy Ranch Dressing.
• Mince the garlic and then add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and mash with the edge of the knife until a paste is formed.
• Add this to a blender with the remaining ingredients. Puree and taste to adjust seasoning.
• Remove and place in a small bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.

OKRA TEMPURA

Steps:

• 1. MAKING THE DIPPING SAUCE
• 2. Add all of the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a non-reactive bowl, cover and allow to rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour, or overnight.
• 3. Chef's Note: Take the yogurt, and place into a cheesecloth lined strainer and allow to drain for about an hour. This keeps the dipping sauce from being too runny.
• 4. MAKING THE TEMPURA BATTER
• 5. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large non-reactive bowl.
• 6. Lightly beat the egg in a small prep bowl. Start with about 7 ounces of the cold beer (or club soda), and lightly combine with the egg.
• 7. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix. I usually make a depression in the middle of the dry ingredients (like a volcano), and then pour in and mix them together, using a fork. It's okay if the batter has a few lumps.
• 8. If you need more beer, or club soda, add it at this time until the mixture is firm, but a bit runny.
• 9. Chef's Note: If, at this point, you have any beer left... DRINK IT!!!
• 10. Let the batter rest for a few minutes in a nice cold place, and then get the peanut oil up to temperature... 350f (180c).
• 11. Okra should be clean, halved and patted dry. Dip okra into the batter, and allow to coat, remove, and slightly shake off the excess, and drop into the hot oil.
• 12. Chef's Note: Cold batter is absolutely necessary for the unique fluffy and crisp tempura that everyone loves. So keep the batter nice and cold.
• 13. Chef's Note: If you okra are rather thick, lower the temperature of the oil by about 15 or so degrees. That way, the inside of the okra will have a chance to cook through.
• 14. Cooking time depends a lot on the recovery time of your oil; however, generally speaking, 30 to 60 seconds after they begin to float, they're ready.
• 15. Remove from oil, and immediately serve with the dipping sauce.

MAMA'S FRIED OKRA

Steps:

• Wash and cut okra into 1/4-inch pieces. Mix cornmeal, flour and seasoning. Add okra. Pour oil into a deep frying pan and heat to about 400 degrees F. Fry until golden.

TEMPURA

Steps:

• Combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then, lower the heat and let it simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Follow these instructions to straighten the shrimp, so it looks gorgeous. Pat the shrimp dry and make sure the moisture is completely removed from the shrimp.
• Cut all the vegetables (except the eggplant) ¼-inch thick. For the eggplant, cut off and discard the stem and calyx, then cut it in half lengthwise. With the cut side flat on the cutting board, cut the eggplant lengthwise into very thin slices (about ⅛ inch or 3 mm), being careful to leave the bottom tip intact by 1 inch (2.5 cm) so the slices stay connected. Then, gently press down on the slices to fan them out. Repeat with the other eggplant half.
• In a medium-sized pot, heat 1½ inches to 2 inches (3-5 cm) of the oil to 350°F (180°C).
• While the oil is heating up, start preparing the tempura batter. Add the egg and the iced water into a 2-cup measuring cup (or any bowl). Whisk the egg mixture vigorously and discard the foam on the surface.
• Sift the flour into a large bowl. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour. Mix the batter, but do not overmix; it's okay to leave some lumps in the batter. Keep the batter cold at all times (store it in the refrigerator if needed). Make the batter right before deep-frying to avoid activating the wheat gluten.
• Check the oil temperature with a thermometer to make sure the oil is 350°F (180°C). You can also use wooden chopsticks to check; when you dip your chopsticks in the oil and see small bubbles forming, it's ready for deep-frying. Please note that sweet potatoes and kabocha require a lower cooking temperature (320ºF/160℃). If you want to read more deep-frying tips, please read this post.
• Deep-fry starting with the cleaner and less astringent ingredients. For example, the cooking order would be shiso first, followed by the mushrooms, eggplant, shrimp, sweet potatoes, and kabocha. Make sure your ingredients are dry before dipping them in the batter; if they're wet, dry them with a paper towel first. While the tempura is frying, the moisture from the ingredients will evaporate and the tempura will become crispy. However, if the ingredients have extra moisture, the tempura will become soggy after deep-frying.
• When the oil reaches the right temperature, dip one piece of vegetable or shrimp in the batter, let the excess drip off for a second or two, and very gently place it into the hot oil. Continue dipping and adding one piece at a time. For the shrimp, sprinkle some flour or potato starch (or cornstarch) over it before dipping to help the tempura batter adhere. For the shiso leaves, sprinkle a bit of sifted flour on the back of the leaf, dip only the back of the leaf into the batter, and deep-fry for 15 seconds. The flour acts as a glue and the batter tends to stay on the ingredients better.
• Deep-fry the ingredients until golden brown. Do not crowd the pot because the oil temperature will drop quickly. Remember, your ingredients should take up no more than about half of the oil surface area at any one time. Here's the rough cooking time for each of the ingredients: Shiso (350ºF/180ºC, 20-30 seconds), mushrooms (350ºF/180ºC, 1 min), eggplant (350ºF/180ºC, 1 min), shrimp (350ºF/180ºC, 2 minutes), sweet potatoes (320ºF/160℃, 3 mins), and kabocha (320ºF/160℃, 2-3 mins). Note that sweet potatoes and kabocha require a lower cooking temperature than the rest of the tempura ingredients.
• Transfer the tempura to a wire rack or a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
• Between batches, clean the oil by scooping up the crumbs (called tenkasu), which will burn and turn the oil darker if left in the pot.
• Grate the daikon and squeeze the liquid out. Prepare 3-4 Tbsp of warm tentsuyu in individual small bowls and serve the grated daikon on the side.
• Put 1 Tbsp of the grated daikon in the sauce and dip the tempura in the sauce to enjoy.
• You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and in the freezer for 2 weeks. Reheat the tempura at 350ºF (180ºC) in the oven until warm and crisp.

FRIED OKRA WITH RéMOULADE

Steps:

• Make the rémoulade: In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, Cajun seasoning, vinegar and lemon juice. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups rémoulade.) Cover the sauce and chill it in the fridge until you serve.
• Prepare the okra: Pour oil into a large pot with high sides and a lid, to a depth of a few inches. Heat oil over medium-high to 350 degrees.
• While the oil is heating, combine the buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl. Place the cut okra into the buttermilk mixture and stir to coat.
• In a large bowl, stir the flour, cornmeal, Cajun seasoning and cayenne.
• Working in 4 separate batches, dredge the soaked okra in the cornmeal mixture using your hands. Shake off the excess flour and place the okra onto a wire baking rack. After one to two dredgings of okra, use your hands or a slotted spoon to sift the flour and cornmeal mixture, removing any clumps. Finish coating the remaining okra.
• Working in about 4 batches, making sure to not crowd the pot, fry the okra, stirring frequently, until crispy and golden, about 4 minutes. (Take care not to burn it.)
• Remove okra using a spider and allow the okra to drain on two plates covered with paper towels. Immediately season okra with sea salt. Serve immediately with the chilled rémoulade.