In Vietnam, there’s a sweet potato and shrimp dish, khoai lan chiên tôm, that is served on many street corners. Three match-sticks of sweet potato are dipped in a tempura batter and then a whole shrimp is adhered to them. A little more tempura batter is drizzled on the sweet potato / shrimp combination and then the whole thing is deep fried.
This dish may not at first glance be considered Thanksgiving-friendly, but I think it’s an excellent option. Tradition may have become synonymous with Thanksgiving, but the very first Thanksgiving was really a celebration of a fusion of cultures through food. So if you’re searching for an alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving preparations of sweet potatoes, perhaps it’s time to look east. To the Far East, that is.
1. Info for Vietnamese Sweet Potato and Shrimp Tempura
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Servings: 24
- Calories: 286
2. Ingredients for Vietnamese Sweet Potato and Shrimp Tempura
- 1/4 cup rice flour, freshly ground
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
- 2-2/3 to 3 cups seltzer water (see tips)
- 8 ounces crushed ice, (1-1/2 cups)
- 2 pounds large shrimp
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 3 sweet potatoes
- 1 quart peanut oil (or regular vegetable oil), for deep frying, as needed
3. Directions:
- Combine all-purpose flour, corn starch, turmeric powder, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of sugar, red chili powder and 2 teaspoons of salt. Sift all the dry ingredients.
- Divide the seltzer water into 2 measuring cups: one with 2-1/3 cups and another with 1/3 cup.
- Add 2-1/3 cups of seltzer water and crushed ice to the tempura flour until incorporated. Do NOT over-mix; it’s okay if the batter is still lumpy.
- In another bowl, dissolve the rice flour into 1/3 cup of seltzer water.
- Combine the two mixtures and stir to even them up. Once more, do NOT over-mix in order to get an airy result! The consistency of the tempura batter should be similar to pancake batter. Add the remaining seltzer water if necessary (I didn’t).
- Allow to rest for about an hour.
- In a bowl, combine 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt, 3/4 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne powder and pepper.
- Use fresh, good looking shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, it’s not necessary to thaw them. Remove and discard the head of the shrimp if it’s still attached. Carefully shell and de-vein the black part of the shrimp using a sharp hook-like paring knife. Make sure to leave the tip of the tailon, if possible. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and pat dry using a paper towel. There should be as little water as possible. Repeat the same procedure for each shrimp. This step is tedious but essential for a good result.
- Spread the shrimp on a large tray. Generously coat the shrimp with garlic. Sprinkle the shrimp with the spices from the seasoning bowl. Add about 2 teaspoons of oil. Toss well. Plastic wrap and let the shrimp marinate for 15-20 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1 to 1-1/2-inch matchsticks (to your liking). Place them in the tempura batter. Add 2 teaspoons of oil.
- Layer a cooling rack, previously lined with paper towels if you like, on top of a baking sheet (for easy clean-up of the drained oil).
- In a large Dutch oven (or any regular deep-fryer), heat the oil for about 2 minutes over high heat. There should be at least a 2-inch-high level of oil. Wait until the oil is slightly bubbly (not too hot).
- Test the oil by dropping a teaspoon of tempura batter into the hot oil. It should float but not swell.
- Using a spatula, gather 3 sweet potato match-sticks. Dip a shrimp into the tempura batter to coat completely. Allow the excess batter to drip back into the tempura batter bowl. Place a shrimp on top of the 3 match-sticks. Drizzle an additional teaspoon of tempura batter over the shrimp to ensure that it adheres well to the sweet potatoes and place in the hot oil.
- Fry in batches. Make sure the shrimp fritters don’t touch each other. Lower the heat to medium. Deep fry for 2-3 minutes per batch. The fritters will start to pop and increase in volume. Use a splatter screen to prevent the oil from jumping everywhere . Flip each piece using a spider skimmer and cook for about a minute until golden on all sides. Remove each fritter, draining as much oil as possible and transfer them on the cooling rack. Continue with the remaining shrimp.