Question:

Is Tempura batter they same type used in restaurants in Sweet and sour dishes?

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or is there a different batter the use for the crispy outside/fluffy inside on pork,chicken, and shrimp?

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  1. Serious.. THEY ARE NOT the same..

    ( I can NOT believe people said they are!)

    That "fluffy" outside is the difference between the Chinese style of breading, different from the Japanese Tempura.

    The TEMPURA is crispy and light, not heavy breaded like the Sweet and Sour Chicken coating you asked about.

    The Chinese variant stand up to wetting better (ie sweet and sour sauce and the like..)

    The Japanese use it primarily for fish and seafood, but it's light, crunchy and doesn't overwhelm the food. but tempura is different: crisp, light, and not so greasy. The secret is in the batter, a purposefully lumpy concoction of egg, ice water and flour that gives the coating on the food (or ‘cloak’ as the Japanese refer to it) a paper-thin, bubbling texture.

    Despite being a popular Japanese dish, the origin of tempura is not fully Asian. Tempura comes from the Portuguese verb temperar which means to season. The Portuguese have a seasoned fish dish that the Japanese borrowed from visiting Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century. After this, the Japanese came up with their own version of tempura. The dish became well-known throughout Japan in the 17th century.

    If you'll NOTICE, the Breading on the Chinese Chicken (as in your sweet and sour chicken), is like pancake batter.. it's very think and very heavy.. like the fluffy you said before.

    Another thing they do to keep it that way?

    Believe it or NOT the chicken pieces and boiled and cooked first.. THEN they batter and deep fry them, That way the outside dies NOT have to be cooked to death before the center is finished.


  2. Yes.  Its the same.

    Tempura Batter

    1/2 cup flour

    1/2 cup cornstarch

    1 teaspoon baking soda

    1 teaspoon baking powder

    1 teaspoon sugar

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1 egg

    2/3 cup ice water

    Yellow food coloring (optional)

    Oil for deep frying

    Your choice of dippers; shrimp, scallops, chunky-cut chicken and vegetables are good.

    # Sift together the dry ingredients.

    # Beat egg slightly and mix with the water and a few drops of the food coloring, if desired.

    # Add the dry ingredients. Stir only until mixed; mixture will be slightly lumpy.

    # Dip shrimp, chunky-cut chicken and vegetables, etc. into the batter and deep fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

    Beer Batter is very similar:

    Ingredients

         1 12 oz can light Beer

         1 1/2 cups Flour

         1/2 tsp Salt

         1 tsp Paprika

         1 cup Flour



    Directions

    Pour the beer into a large bowl. Sift the flour, salt, and paprika into the beer, whisking until the batter is light and frothy. (The batter may be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, but be sure to whisk it occasionally). Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a frying kettle or electric fryer. Just before it reaches 375F, quickly dredge the fish and shrimp with flour, shaking of excess then dip in the beer batter, coating well, and drop them into the hot fat (do this in 2 batches). When they are brown on one side - less than 1 minute - turn and brown them on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

  3. there is a diff as just stated

  4. It sure is, but also try Panko Breadcrumbs. They're Oriental too but aren't' as greasy. If you stick with the Tempura batter, make sure your oil is hot enough, or it won't get golden brown and crunchy. It will be oily and disappointing. Oh! and once you mix your tempura batter, don't over-stir it. It will be slightly lumpy and then, don't stir it again! Or it won't stick to your food. And use very very cold water to mix your batter.

    Good Luck! :)

  5. No, it's not the same and anyone who has cooked these dishes before will know the difference.

    The distinctiveness of tempura batter is the use of cold water to produce the final light crispiness and the batter must also be left slightly lumpy (not completely well mixed like other batters). If you want to use tempura batter for sweet & sour dishes, I would say only fish would have some compatibility, and the dish must be served immediately after the battered fish has been coated with the sauce. Any longer and the crisp batter will become dreadfully soggy.

    As for sweet & sour pork, it depends on your preference. The traditional way is the simpliest, only to coat with cornflour & deep-fry, no batter to talk about (also used for chicken). However, some locations seem to like using the 'fluffy' batter (which has a bit of baking powder added to the cornflour & plain flour mix), which in authentic Chinese cooking is just used for battered shrimp. I think it's just a mark of a lazy restaurant, using the same type of batter for a variety of dishes.

  6. I think it is the same.

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