Korean Kimchi Tempura (Crispy Battered Deep-Fried Fermented Kimchi)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 30 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 4
About this dish
Napa cabbage kimchi, pressed just enough to stop it dripping, goes into a thin batter and comes out crisp outside and still juicy and tangy within.
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Squeezing it bone dry drains away much of the flavor. The batter only needs a surface dry enough to cling to.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Cut 200 g kimchi into large, easy-to-eat pieces.
Press it lightly by hand to remove excess liquid, but leave some moisture so the fermented juices and savory flavor stay in the kimchi.
- 2
Pour 120 ml cold water into 120 g frying powder and mix only until no dry flour is visible.
Keep the batter cold and slightly loose, because overmixing makes the coating heavy.
- 3
Pour 500 ml cooking oil into a pot and heat it over medium-high heat to 170C.
A small drop of batter should rise quickly with steady bubbles; lower the heat if the oil smokes.
- 4
Dip the kimchi pieces in the batter, then let the excess drip off lightly before adding them to the oil.
Fry in small batches without crowding for about 2 minutes, until the edges begin to set.
- 5
Turn each piece once with chopsticks and fry for 1 to 2 minutes more.
Keep the oil around 165C to 175C, and remove the kimchi when the coating is crisp and light golden.
- 6
Place the fried kimchi on a rack or paper towel and drain for 1 to 2 minutes.
Spread the pieces out instead of stacking them, because trapped steam softens the coating; serve while warm.
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