Shrimp Tempura Sushi Bowls
SERVES: 2 bowls | PREP TIME: 10 MIN | COOK TIME: 25 MIN
This is by far one of my favorite meals ever.
My mother-in-law made a version of these bowls for us over the holidays and it instantly brought me back to my private cheffing days. I used to make all sorts of bowls for my clients and they just loved them. And for good reason - they're light and nourishing, and very customizable. Maybe you want a little more of this, and a little less of that - which also makes them great for a crowd!
One night I was seriously craving these bowls. I went to our local market right around the corner to get a few ingredients and as I was making my way towards the checkout a bag on the bottom shelf caught my eye. It was Japanese breadcrumbs aka Tempura. I already had some beautiful shrimp in my basket and it dawned on me, why not fry them up?
I'm so glad that inspiration struck because the tempura shrimp is an awesome addition to this bowl. And shrimp's Ethan's favorite. A win-win. Now, I had a friend reach out to me on Instagram asking if I had any Ketogenic recipes for him to follow, and although I don't follow diets or write recipes for them (and don’t have epilepsy which is what that specific diet is prescribed for), this recipe can be easily adapted to suit any dietary style. If you need to reduce the rice to a smaller portion, and switch out the tempura shrimp for a beautiful piece of sushi grade tuna, wonderful. It's so easy to do. Need to make it vegan? Simply remove the fish and use a marinated piece of tofu instead, and switch out the mayo for a vegan alternative. Happen to have mushrooms? Great, cook 'em up and add 'em! Do your thing.
Shrimp Tempura Sushi Bowls
SERVES: 2 bowls
PREP TIME: 10 MIN | COOK TIME: 25 MIN
INSTRUCTIONSPlace rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold water until the water runs off mostly clear. Add rice to a large heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven, and add 2 cups of cold water and cover. Turn the heat on high and bring rice to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, keeping it covered the whole time. Once the rice is done, remove the cover and fluff with a fork. Let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the rice vinegar and fluff again.
Meanwhile, rinse the shrimp in cold water and pat very dry with a paper towel. Pour panko onto a large plate and add ½ tsp of salt. In a separate bowl mix one egg to make a wash for the shrimp. Submerge shrimp one at a time into egg wash, allow the excess egg to drip off of the shrimp before placing the shrimp down into the panko mixture. Shake plate to help coat the shrimp and press panko onto the shrimp, then flip to cover both sides repeating the process. Shake off excess panko, dip back into egg wash and back into the panko for a second coating. You may need to replace the egg after a few shrimp as it may become too thick with excess panko.
Heat a ¼ inch of high heat cooking oil such as canola oil or avocado oil in a deep dish skillet for about 3 minutes. Once the oil is hot (the oil will start to make slight waves on it's surface. You can test it by dropping a light drop of water and once it pops it's ready), place 4 to 6 shrimp in the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan and fry for about 1 minute. Start flipping the shrimp one at a time starting with the first shrimp you placed down and moving in order, and finish cooking for 1 minute. The crust should be crisp and browning and the shrimp should be opaque and firm to the touch. Remove shrimp from pan and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Cook remaining shrimp, replacing the oil if it is too brown and has too much debris floating.
Thinly slice or dice in bite size cubes cucumber, red pepper, green onion, and avocado. Set aside.
For the sweet soy sauce: In a seperate bowl combine maple syrup, toasted sesame seed oil, and tamari soy sauce. Set aside.
For the spicy mayo: In a seperate bowl combine mayo, cayenne, Sriracha, and regular sesame seed oil. Set aside.
Assemble each bowl seperately layering in first the rice, next the veggies, nori and shrimp, finally top with sesame seeds, green onions, sauces and lemon to taste.
Must Read Recipe Notes:
Some things to definitely keep in this recipe? The sauces. The sweet soy sauce and the spicy mayo totally make this. The squeeze of lemon. The kelp. Without these guys, you won't have a sushi bowl per se, but rather an Asian bowl which is fine, but not quite this dish.
Some things to consider adding? Sliced almonds (one of my favorite sushi garnishes... trust me and give it a go!), and of course the classic pickled ginger.
Please note. This recipe may seem complicated with the tempura shrimp. If you are uncomfortable with frying as a cooking technique, please feel free to bake them at 350 flipping half way - probably 10-15 minutes total cooking time.
Use whatever veggies you have on hand, and omit anything that makes your life too complicated after you’ve tried it once through.
Have fun with this you guys. It's a good one.
INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups white rice
1-2 tbsps rice vinegar
6 shrimp, raw, deshelled and cleaned with tails on
1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 European/English cucumber
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 avocado
1 green onion, sliced
2 tbsp krinkled nori or a half sheet of nori, crumbled
sesame seeds, to garnish
1 lemon, cut into small slices
INGREDIENTS SWEET SOY SAUCE1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
2 tsp tamari soy sauce
INGREDIENTS SPICEY MAYO1/3 cup mayo
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 tsp sriracha
1 tsp sesame oil, not toasted