Kakiage: Crisp Japanese Fritters of Onion, Carrot and Sakura Shrimp (かき揚げ)

Kakiage: Thin Vegetables and Tiny Shrimp Held Together in One Crisp Piece

Picture a bowl of thinly sliced onion and fine carrot strips, flecked with tiny dried sakura shrimp and short lengths of mitsuba. A dusting of flour, a little chilled water, a few light turns with chopsticks, and the strands begin to cling to one another. Lowered into hot oil, each spoonful spreads into a flat cluster that turns golden and crisp at the edges.

Kakiage (かき揚げ) is a kind of tempura in which several ingredients, or small ones, are coated in batter and fried together into a flat shape. The ingredients change with the season and from household to household; this article follows one representative home version for 4 servings, built on onion, carrot, dried sakura shrimp and mitsuba. For more dishes from the same table, see our Japanese food page.

The recipe this version follows, from a JITCO home-cooking sheet, gives the flour, chilled water and frying oil only as "as needed" amounts. Rather than borrowing ratios, oil temperatures or frying times from other recipes, this article keeps those amounts open and describes the look of the batter and the finished piece at each stage. This recipe has not been kitchen-tested by Sekai Gohan, so read the visual cues in each step closely.

What Kakiage Is: Tempura Made Flat from Small Ingredients

Where ordinary tempura usually fries one ingredient per piece, kakiage gathers many small pieces into one. JITCO's English-language home-cooking sheet describes it as tempura in which mixed or small ingredients are coated and fried into a flat shape, and presents the onion, carrot, dried sakura shrimp and mitsuba combination used here.

The same sheet points to how kakiage reaches the table: eaten on its own with a little salt, set over rice as kakiage-don, or placed on soba or udon. It also notes that the ingredients follow the seasons, with spring examples such as wild mountain vegetables, bamboo shoots, fava beans and nanohana, and suggests raw shrimp, kobashira (small scallop adductors) or shirasu in place of dried shrimp. Each of those changes the moisture and cooking of the mixture, so they are treated as separate recipes here, not swaps into this one.

The materials used for this article do not cover the dish's origins or history, so this article does not go into them.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

The flour, water and oil are judged by look as you go. Have extra chilled water and flour on hand so you can add a little at a time.

Equipment

• Knife and cutting board
• Mixing bowl
• Cooking chopsticks or a spoon
• Deep pan for frying
• Slotted spoon
• Wire rack

Choosing and Swapping Ingredients

Dried sakura shrimp are the defining ingredient of this version: small, dried, pink shrimp that bring aroma to the whole piece. Look for them at Japanese or East Asian grocers. Raw shrimp, kobashira or shirasu make a different kakiage with different moisture and cooking, so don't simply swap them in at the same amount.

Mitsuba is a Japanese herb with its own distinct aroma. Other greens will change the flavor of the dish, so they are not offered here as a like-for-like substitute.

Onion: an ordinary yellow onion is fine. New-season bulb onions (shin-tamanegi) carry more moisture and a different sharpness, so the batter may not look the same at the same stage.

Flour: this version is written for soft wheat flour alone. Don't mix in egg, starch or a tempura-flour mix; the batter cues in the steps are for flour and chilled water only.

Method: Coat First, Then Add Water Little by Little

Cut everything before the oil goes on, so you can give the pan your full attention once frying starts. Work in small batches and judge each stage by how the batter and the pieces look.

When It Doesn't Come Together: Fixing Common Problems

Because the flour and water are judged by eye, most problems show up in the bowl before they reach the oil. Look at the mixture again before each batch.

If oil in the pan catches fire, turn off the heat if you can do so safely, and never pour water on it.

Ways to Serve and Seasonal Variations

Serve it straight from the rack. Kakiage is at its best freshly fried, with a little salt on the side. This article gives no storage or reheating guidance; make what you will eat and serve it fresh.

Over rice or noodles. Kakiage can be set over rice as kakiage-don, or placed on a bowl of soba or udon. The rice, noodles and broth are ways of eating it, not part of the kakiage itself.

Seasonal ingredients. In spring, kakiage may be made with wild mountain vegetables, bamboo shoots, fava beans or nanohana. Each has its own moisture and cooking time, so treat these as separate recipes rather than additions to this mixture.

Other seafood. Raw shrimp, kobashira or shirasu can take the place of dried shrimp in other versions. Don't transfer the 2 tbsp of dried shrimp directly to them; look for a recipe written for that ingredient.

New onions. New-season bulb onions with more moisture can be used, but expect the batter to behave a little differently at the water stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many grams of flour and water should I use?

The JITCO recipe this version follows gives the flour and chilled water only as "as needed," so this article does not set numbers for them. Instead, coat the ingredients in flour first, then add chilled water a little at a time and mix lightly, stopping while small lumps remain. Those visual cues are the guide.

Should I add egg or starch to the batter?

Not for this version. The recipe uses flour and chilled water only. Nisshin's general tempura guide describes an egg-based batter, but that is a different method and is not used here.

What oil temperature and frying time should I use?

The JITCO recipe does not give a temperature or time; it describes frying until cooked through and crisp. Nisshin's separate general guide gives about 160°C as a reference for thin-battered vegetable kakiage and about 170°C for kakiage with seafood, and describes the bubbles and how the pieces float as signs of doneness. Those figures belong to that general guide, not to this recipe. A photo can't confirm your oil temperature, so watch the pan and the pieces themselves.

Can I use tempura flour instead of soft wheat flour?

The JITCO recipe allows either tempura flour or soft wheat flour. This version uses soft wheat flour, and the batter cues are written for it, so don't mix the two. If you use a tempura-flour product, check its ingredients and allergen label, since they vary by product. A separate MAFF kakiage recipe also mentions rice flour as an option for tempura batter, but that is not part of this version.

Do I have to use a ladle to shape the pieces?

No. A spoon or chopsticks work for gathering bite-size portions. Nisshin's guide shows a ladle used for shaping, and a small ladle can help, but it is not required.

How should I eat kakiage?

On its own with a little salt to taste, over rice as kakiage-don, or on soba or udon, as JITCO's sheet describes.

What should I do if the oil catches fire?

The Kitakyushu City Fire Department advises staying with the pan while frying, turning off the heat before stepping away, and never pouring water on burning oil.

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