For A Crispy, Crave-Worthy Sushi Filling, Get Creative With Tempura

Did you know you can cook anything tempura-style? It's an ancient Japanese style of deep-frying that adds a light, airy texture to battered vegetables, meat, and fish. Tempura dishes are popular on menus at Japanese restaurants and at sushi joints, where tempura-style green beans, asparagus, and shrimp add a little extra texture to a standard selection of rolls. But you don't have to stick to just those few ingredients if you want to add a little extra crunch to your sushi rolls.

Traditional tempura batter only has three ingredients: egg, flour, and ice water. Use regular all-purpose flour or white rice flour if you want to make your tempura batter gluten-free. Ice water is crucial to the process of creating that iconic crispy, pillowy tempura texture. Use club soda to make the batter instead of water to get an even bubblier, more airy, and lighter crust on whatever you decide to tempura-fry.

Theoretically, you could cook any ingredients tempura-style and roll them up with rice and nori wraps — or order anything made tempura-style from a willing restaurant kitchen. You could throw everything that comes in a California Roll right into tempura batter and then build the roll with battered ingredients. The options are endless, and a whole new world of sushi is waiting as soon as you're ready to try a few ingredients tempura-style.

Tempura vegetables, meat, and seafood are great additions to both hand rolls and cut sushi rolls, a way to add some texture and interest to your go-to sushi. Tempura rolls are sometimes battered and fried after the roll is put together to give it a crunchy crust, but often you'll see tempura ingredients inside the rolls at Japanese restaurants. Tempura shrimp is a very common starting point for sushi rolls, but you'll also see tempura tuna and vegetables like zucchini and other squash, mushrooms, and onions.

You don't have to limit yourself to trying standard Japanese tempura menu items, especially if you're making sushi at home. Tempura-fried fish and seafood definitely contribute to an interesting sushi roll, but add tempura-style thin-cut chicken or beef for an even more surprising filling.

Tempura also adds another layer of interest to plant-based rolls, offering a wider variety than your standard cucumber roll. Tempura sweet potato, bell peppers, corn, avocado, broccoli, and cauliflower all add texture and flavor to sushi rolls. As you fry your ingredients, set aside any of the fried batter that flakes off for topping on the roll, and don't forget to pair your sushi with sake for an unforgettable experience.