Teriyaki Tempura Sushi Handrolls

Phoebe Thorburn -

I first made these as part of my 2024, 12 Days of Joyful Cooking series. They were (HANDS DOWN) the most delicious recipe I made in that series and surprisingly less complicated than I anticipated!

While they're a common take-away item in the US, I've never seen them on a menu in Australia (fingers crossed that changes soon). Sushi tacos are available here (where the seaweed is coated in tempura batter and fried, then filled with sushi filling), but honestly they are an incomparable substitute that my palette tired of quickly. Eaten freshly fried, these are warm & crispy on the outside, while fresh & hearty on the inside. Drizzled with teriyaki sauce & Japanese mayo, I guarantee they will be one of the best meals you've eaten in a while!

This recipe was made with the guidance of Mama Knows Gluten Free's tempura batter recipe, found here.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 sushi handrolls of choice (don't worry, the sushi filling won't cook or wilt)
  • cornflour or tapioca starch, for coating
  • gluten-free breadcrumbs, for coating

Tempura Batter

  • 80g white rice flour (this one, available at asian grocery stores)
  • 30g cornflour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) cold carbonated water
  • light-flavoured vegetable oil, for frying

To Serve

  • teriyaki sauce (I used this Kikkoman one)
  • mayonnaise of choice
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • sliced spring onions

METHOD

  1. Firstly prepare the Tempura Batter by adding the white rice flour, cornflour, salt and baking powder to a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour over the cold carbonated water in a continuous stream while whisking constantly to form a smooth thin batter. Refrigerate while you prepare everything else.
  2. Sprinkle enough cornflour and breadcrumbs on two separate plates, to coat the sushi handrolls in. Heat enough light-flavoured vegetable oil in a deep-sided pot or pan to fry your sushi handrolls. I used a small saucepan and added enough oil to submerge 3/4 of the handroll – creating a 'generous' shallow fry situation.
  3. While your oil is heating, take your prepared Tempura Batter out of the fridge. Pat your sushi handrolls dry with a paper towel then coat every side in the cornflour, tapping off any excess. Now check your oil temperature by adding a drop of the Tempura Batter – if it bubbles up straight away you're good to fry your handrolls. Working one or two at a time, completely submerge your handrolls in the Tempura Batter, coating the ends as well. Let the excess batter drip off then transfer to the plate of breadcrumbs, gently turning to coat every side. You can press the breadcrumbs "into" the batter as well to help achieve a good coating. Gently lower the handroll into the hot oil. The oil will bubble up immediately. Keep an eye on it, it should only take approx 20 seconds to golden-brown on one side. Gently turn over the handroll with tongs or cooking chopsticks to crisp up the other side. Obviously, if you heated enough oil to fully submerge the handroll, you can just judge the cooking time by the colour of the entire handroll. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate and repeat the dredging, crumbing & frying process with the other handrolls.
    a note of reassurance: don't fret if it seems like your sushi handrolls are not sealed tightly enough to start with, the batter will hold them in shape during the frying process.
  4. With a slightly wet sharp knife and some tongs to hold the sushi in place, slice each handroll into 4 pieces. Arrange on a serving plate and drizzle generously with teriyaki sauce, mayonnaise, toasted sesame seeds and spring onions. Serve immediately.