By Awusi Boateng ( University Student , food enthusiast) Guest Post
When I first came to Osaka from Accra to study business development, I thought I was ready for everything. The people were nice, the trains came on time (like magic!), and everything was clean clean. But one thing that shocked me proper was the food.
I come from a home where jollof, waakye, and kelewele run things. You know? So, when I reached Japan, and saw all the sushi, raw fish, and things I couldn’t even pronounce, I was like “Ei, what be this?” My stomach sef dey fear. For the first few days, I just dey chop bread and banana.
But one night, as I dey waka small after class, I smell something sweet from one corner near the station. It was a small food truck with lights hanging around. One old obaasan (Japanese grandma) was frying something golden and crispy. I asked her, “What’s this?” She smiled and said, “Ebi Tempura.”
Ebi means shrimp. Tempura means deep-fried in light batter. I didn’t understand all, but I tried one piece. Chale… from the first bite, I was hooked like fish inside Volta River. Crunchy outside, juicy shrimp inside, not oily at all. It was love at first crunch.
Since then, Ebi Tempura has been my comfort food in Japan. I even learned how to make it at home. So today, I want to share the recipe with you, my Ghana people, and anyone who loves good food.
My Simple Home Recipe for Ebi Tempura (Japanese Fried Shrimp)
Ingredients:
(For 2 people)
- 10 large prawns (cleaned and deveined, leave the tail on)
- 1 egg (cold from fridge)
- 1 cup ice-cold water
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch (for crispiness)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (optional, for lightness)
- Oil for deep frying (vegetable or canola)
- A pinch of salt
Optional dipping sauce:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine)
- ¼ cup dashi stock (or water + a bit of fish sauce)
- Grated ginger (small pinch)
How to Prepare:
1. Prepare the shrimp
- Remove shell, but leave the tail.
- Make 3 small cuts across the belly side so the shrimp doesn’t curl when frying.
- Press gently to straighten them. This small trick dey important pass.
2. Dry the shrimp
- Pat dry with paper towel and sprinkle a little salt.
- If the shrimp wet too much, batter go fall off.
3. Make the batter
- In a bowl, beat the cold egg with cold water. Water must be very cold oh — you fit even add ice.
- Mix flour, cornstarch, and baking soda in another bowl.
- Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients using chopsticks or a fork. No overmix! Some lumps are okay.
Chale, if you mix too much, batter go be like fufu — heavy and soggy.
4. Heat the oil
- Pour oil in deep pan, heat to about 170°C (medium heat).
- You can test by dropping a bit of batter — if it floats and sizzles, it’s ready.
5. Dip and Fry
- Dip each shrimp into batter, then slowly slide into hot oil.
- Fry 2–3 at a time so the oil no go cool down.
- Fry until light golden (about 2 minutes), then drain on paper towel.
6. Make the dipping sauce (optional but sweet)
- Combine soy sauce, mirin, and dashi in small pot. Heat gently.
- Add grated ginger. Done!
How to Chop It
You can enjoy Ebi Tempura with:
- Plain rice (like we do with stew)
- Tempura udon (in hot noodle soup)
- Or just as snack with the dipping sauce
From Ghana to Japan – What I Learned
At first, I thought Japanese food no be my thing. Too soft, too quiet, too… foreign. But that small food truck woman showed me that food no dey need language. Just one good bite fit connect two different worlds.
Ebi Tempura remind me of Chinchinga — something you buy by the roadside, hold in your hand, and eat with smile. Simple, crispy, and full of love.
So if you ever feel lost in a new place, try the street food. You might just find your new favorite — like how I found Ebi Tempura under Osaka’s neon lights.