re: Please remove sticky - replacement post below

Tempura Batter

Per Pound:

Peanut oil
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup AP flour/cake flour
1 large egg
1/2 cup vodka (ice cold)
1/2 cup water (ice cold)
Kosher salt to taste


I've done more vodka than water before but that was for Korean fried chicken, so it's really a matter of preference. You could also go 1/2 cup each of the flour and cornstarch if you want the batter to be a bit softer.

Eyeball the batter once you've got the ingredients added together and add more dry/wet ingredients to reach a pancake batter (slightly runnier, preferably) consistency. Careful when dropping in the oil, the vodka and water tend to pop. If your first batch comes out a little heavy on the batter just add more water.

Also, wanted to add, there is a lot of wiggle room in terms of the consistency and it’s a matter of preference. If you want the super light and airy batter, make the dipping batter the consistency of heavy cream. If you like a thicker crust, closer to pancake batter is preferable.

Oil should be around 375 degrees (you want it to be quite hot so the runny batter hardens quickly). Cook time should be around 2 minutes for veggies/fish. Unless you’re doubling or tripling the recipe, don’t worry too much about over-mixing the batter (you want it fairly well incorporated, just don’t go overboard). In the case that you are multiplying the recipe, you should try to avoid over-mixing as it may result in gluten formation which could lead to a less desirable end product. Final note, if you don’t have a large pot to fry in, it may be helpful to put your batter bowl in an ice bath to keep it as cold as possible while you wait. I usually have the vodka in the freezer, so it’s as cold as possible.

Source: rbWarEagle