Tempura Prawns with Soy Dipping Sauce
Light, crispy tempura prawns served with a salty-sweet soy dipping sauce — the perfect starter or sharing dish.
Ingredients
For the prawns:
- 200 g raw king prawns peeled and deveined (tails on)
- 75 g plain flour
- 25 g cornflour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 120 ml ice-cold sparkling water
- Oil for deep frying
- Salt to season
For the dipping sauce:
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ tsp honey or sugar
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 spring onion finely sliced
- Optional: pinch of chilli flakes or sesame seeds
Instructions
- Pat the prawns dry with kitchen paper and keep them chilled in the fridge while you prep the batter.
- In a mixing bowl like this, whisk together the flour, cornflour, and baking powder. Slowly add the ice-cold sparkling water and stir gently — don’t overmix. A few lumps are fine. Pop the bowl in the fridge to keep the batter cold.
- Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat about 5cm of oil in a wok like this until it reaches 180°C. A digital kitchen thermometer like this takes the guesswork out and helps you hit the perfect frying temp.
- Dip each prawn into the cold batter, let the excess drip off, then gently lower it into the hot oil. Use a slotted spoon like this to lift out the prawns in small batches. Fry for 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp, then drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt while hot.
- Serve immediately with the soy dipping sauce on the side.