Tempura can be served with a variety of sauces, from traditional Japanese soy sauce to mayonnaise-based sauces for seafood and hot sauce for meat. Coconut sauce is also a good option for a sweet contrast.
Commonly served with any number of different sauces, tempura consists of vegetables, meat or seafood that have been battered and fried. Choosing the best tempura sauce will largely depend on the type of tempura you’re serving and your personal flavor preferences. Sauces can range from those that mimic traditional Japanese cuisine, to those similar to a hot sauce, to those that go well with seafood, such as a tartar sauce or cocktail sauce.
Traditional Japanese tempura sauces are often made by combining soy sauce with sake or rice vinegar and a little sugar. This type of sauce is served hot. Such a sauce is often the best sauce for tempura as it pairs well with vegetables, fish, and meats. For a cook, this can prove quite convenient when serving more than one plate of tempura at a meal.
Mayonnaise-based sauces, such as tartar sauce, are popular offerings for seafood tempura. They can also be paired with a vegetable, such as broccoli or cauliflower, which can have a heavier flavor when cooked tempura-style. Another popular sauce of this type is green mayonnaise. This sauce uses freshly ground parsley to give it a refreshing taste and bright colour. Mayonnaise-based sauces, while not low in calories, offer a crispness that offsets the heat of a meat or vegetable fresh from the fryer.
For those who like a little spice in their life, a hot sauce can prove to be a great choice as a tempura dip. This type of sauce would more often be served with a meat rather than a vegetable, as it may prove to overpower the delicate flavor of a well-cooked vegetable. Hot sauces vary in intensity and also in texture. Some are very smooth and light, while others are thick and sticky. The choice simply depends on a person’s palate.
Unlike some of the more savory types of tempura sauce, coconut sauces are also a good accompaniment. This type of sauce can be made from a coconut milk base or simply with grated coconut added. Some recipes also call for the addition of a little sugar to further sweeten the sauce. The effect is the same: a light, sweet, contrasting flavor that highlights both the tempura-cooked food and the sauce at the same time.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
