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Shrimp Tempura Roll (3 Different Styles)

What happens when you combine a popular Japanese dish like tempura with an even more popular cuisine like sushi? Let me introduce the shrimp tempura roll! Three of them to be exact. Shrimp tempura rolls are extremely popular not just for sushi beginners but sushi enthusiasts as well. These fully-cooked rolls are not only delicious but they're very versatile and easily customizable, making it a fun and exciting meal to make at home!
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VIDEO

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course Sushi
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 3
Calories 494

EQUIPMENT

  • 1 Makisu (bamboo mat)
  • 1 Cutting board
  • 1 Knife
  • 1 Bowl For cold water to wet hands
  • 1-3 Serving plate
  • 1 Pot For deep frying
  • 1 Chopsticks

INGREDIENTS
 

  • 3 cup sushi rice (make ahead)
  • 2 half sheet dried seaweed (nori)
  • 1 full sheet dried seaweed (nori)
  • 5 shrimp size between 16-30
  • 4 inches cucumber English or Japanese
  • 1 avocado
  • 4 sticks imitation crab (kanikama)
  • 2-3 asparagus
  • spicy mayo (drizzle)
  • unagi sauce (drizzle)
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • wasabi
  • pickled ginger
  • soy sauce
  • 1 cup tempurako tempura flour
  • 4 cups neutral oil for deep frying

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation

  • Gather all ingredients.
  • Make sushi rice (sushi rice tutorial here).
  • Start heating oil over medium heat. Target temperature is 340-350°F (170-176°C)

Asparagus

  • Cut the bottom of the asparagus so that it's the same length as a sheet of nori.
  • Boil a pan of water and add a pinch of salt.
  • Once water comes to a boil, blanch the asparagus for 2-3 minutes.
  • Transfer into an ice bath to fully cool and then dry with paper towels.

Cucumber

  • Prepare the cucumber by cutting it into half-inch wide sticks or peel it using the katsuramuki technique (refer to above).

Avocado

  • Cut the avocado in half and carefully remove the seed.
  • Peel the skin and cut one half into roughly half inch thick slices. These are going inside the rolls.
  • Place the other half flat onto the cutting board and slice into ⅛ inch thin slices. It's best to do this after the roll is made to help minimize discoloration of the avocado. Tutorial video here.

Shrimp Tempura

  • Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on.
  • Scrape the shrimp tails with the tip of your knife to remove moisture and dirt. This is an IMPORTANT STEP to prevent the tails from exploding in hot oil.
  • On the shrimp’s belly side, make shallow cuts cross-wise along it's length.
  • Gently flatten and straighten the shrimp by laying the belly side onto the cutting board and applying pressure from the top.
  • Make tempura batter by adding ½ cup of tempurako with ½ cup of ice cold water (follow directions on package because every brand is a bit different).
  • If making tempura batter from scratch follow this recipe:
    - All-purpose flour: 1 cup
    - Ice cold water: 1 cup
    - Egg (large): 1
  • Mix the tempura batter with chopsticks (do not use a whisk). Try no to overmix the batter, it's best to keep some of the small clumps in there which gives it a lighter and airy texture.
  • Lightly dust the shrimp with flour, then dip into tempura batter.
  • Fry in oil heated to 340-350°F for about 2–2.5 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
  • Transfer to a cooling rack or plate lined with paper towel.

Preparing the Roll

  • Prepare the makisu (bamboo rolling mat) by wrapping it with plastic.
  • Lay the makisu down onto a cutting board with the bamboo sticks running horizontally.
  • Place a sheet of nori onto the makisu with the rough side up.
  • Wet both hands lightly and grab a ball of sushi rice about the size of an apple.
  • Spread it across evenly on the nori, making sure to get all the way to the edges and corners.
    *Roll #3 is prepared slightly different (read #Roll #3" section below).
  • Flip the nori over so that the rice side is down. Leave about an inch of space from the bottom of the makisu to the bottom of the nori (this makes it easier to roll).

Rolling (Roll #1 - Tatemaki)

  • Turn the nori 90 degrees so that it's facing vertically.
  • Add cucumber slices, avocado, one piece of kanikama, and one shrimp tempura evenly across the middle of the nori, from one end to the other.
  • Lift the bottom end of the makisu with your thumbs while holding the fillings in place with your forefingers.
  • Bring the mat up and over the fillings until the nori wraps around them completely.
  • Pull the makisu from the top (far) end with one hand, while holding the roll in place with the other. This helps tighten the roll so the fillings don't fall out.
  • Continue rolling the mat until the nori overlaps onto itself, and then gently apply pressure from all sides using the makisu.
  • Press in on the ends of the roll to clean the edges.
  • Wrap in plastic if not cutting right away.

Rolling (Roll #2 - Avocado Layered on Top)

  • Add cucumber slices, one piece of kanikama (split in half lengthwise), and two pieces of shrimp tempura. Make sure the tails are facing outwards.
  • Follow the same rolling process as the first roll.
  • Cut half of the avocado into thin slices (as mentioned above under Preparations).
  • Spread it out carefully until it's the same length as the roll.
  • Carefully slide your knife under the spread out avocado slices and place it on top of the roll. Be extra cautious when removing the knife.
  • Gently shape the roll again using the plastic-wrapped makisu.
  • Wrap in plastic if not cutting right away.

Rolling (Roll #3 - Futomaki "Big Roll")

  • Place a full size sheet of nori onto the makisu with the rough side facing up. The nori is not quite a square so lay it portrait mode, meaning vertically with the longer ends on the sides.
  • Add sushi rice onto the nori but leave about and inch of space at the top and also a little bit at the bottom. This will help the nori seal better.
  • Now add the fillings across the middle horizontally from one end to the other: avocado slices, cucumber slices, kanikama, asparagus, and two pieces of shrimp tempura (tails outwards).
  • Follow the same rolling process as the first roll.
  • Use the makisu to apply even and gentle pressure from all sides to shape the roll.
  • Press in on the rice on each ends of the roll to make the edges cleaner.
  • Wrap in plastic if not cutting right away.

Cutting and Plating

  • Place roll onto the cutting board without the makisu.
  • Keep the plastic wrap on while cutting rolls with toppings (Roll #2). Leave the top section of the plastic still intact though so it can easily be removed in one piece.
  • Make sure knife is clean and wet it right before you start cutting.
  • Cut the roll right down the center in half first, and then each half into halves again, and now each quarter into halves again. This should total 8 even pieces.
  • Arrange the rolls neatly on a plate and add a drizzle of spicy mayo, unagi sauce, and sprinkle on some toasted sesame seeds (optional).
  • Serve with some wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce on the side.

NUTRITION

Calories: 494kcalCarbohydrates: 82gProtein: 16gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 428mgPotassium: 454mgFiber: 8gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 293IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Shrimp tempura roll, Tempura roll
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