Kabocha Tempura

Written by
Judy Ung
Food writer, recipe developer, and blogger who has published hundreds of Japanese home-cooking recipes.
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Judy Ung
Updated 05/28/20
Japanese kabocha squash tempura

Judy Ung
  • Total: 19 mins
  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 4 mins
  • Yield: 2 to 4 servings (serves 2-4)
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
135 Calories
5g Fat
19g Carbs
4g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4 servings (serves 2-4)
Amount per serving
Calories 135
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 52mg 17%
Sodium 454mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Protein 4g
Calcium 77mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Kabocha Tempura is an appetizer of very thinly sliced kabocha squash that is dipped in a light batter and deep fried to crisp perfection. It is typically served with salt or a dipping sauce. 

Kabocha Tempura is often included in the medley of assorted vegetable and shrimp tempura that is commonly found on the menus of Japanese restaurants. In the fall when kabocha squash is in season, though, kabocha tempura on its own makes for a great appetizer.

Ingredients

  • 1 kabocha (thinly sliced)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup potato starch
  • 3/4 cup flour (all-purpose)
  • 1 cup water (ice cold)
  • 2 tbsp. canola oil (or vegetable oil for frying)
  • Salt to taste
  • Optional: tempura dipping sauce

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. If you are planning to use a dipping sauce for the kabocha tempura, rather than salt, make the sauce first. Alternatively, use bottled mentsuyu either straight or if it's concentrated, dilute with water as directed on the bottle.

  3. Wash the kabocha. The easiest way to cut a whole kabocha squash is to slice off the bottom and top first, to create a flat surface on the bottom for stability, and easy entry points to cut into the kabocha. Remove seeds and fibrous strands from the inner cavity and discard.

  4. Leaving the skin intact, carefully slice 8 to 10 thin pieces of kabocha. Each piece should be about 1/4-inch thick. The thinner the pumpkin, the faster it will cook. Set aside.

  5. In a small bowl, combine egg, flour, potato starch, and ice cold water. The key to crispy tempura is to ensure that the water is very cold.

  6. Heat oil in a small frying pan to 375 F.

  7. Dip a slice of the kabocha squash into the tempura batter and then place it in the hot oil. Allow each slice to cook about 2 minutes until tender. It's best not to crowd the pot of oil by limiting the number of kabocha slices to 3 to 4 pieces.

  8. Serve immediately with salt or tempura dipping sauce.

Tip

  • When making the tempura, try mixing in the water just before the kabocha slices are dipped in the batter, and the oil is already prepped for frying.

Additional Information

The tempura batter for this recipe is a mixture of potato starch and all purpose flour. The addition of potato starch lightens the batter over other tempura batter recipes that are 100% flour. The key to crisp tempura, however, is the use of ice cold water over room temperature water. I will often add ice cubes to the water and strain them before measuring the water into the tempura batter.

Make sure that the oil for frying is on medium-high heat at a steady 375 F temperature for optimal frying conditions.