Ahi Tempura Roll Recipe

One of my favorite appetizers to order at restaurants in Hawaii are ahi tempura rolls. What I didn't  realize until now is how easy it is to make at home. Here is a simple recipe that requires just four things - beer, flour, raw ahi, nori, and oil.  

First, the batter. I've been using the tempura batter Gem shared on Hawaii Mom Blog - it's such an easy recipe! I usually make half the recipe (1/2 cup flour, 6 oz beer) since I'm not making a large amount of tempura. 

After you make the tempura batter, it's time to make your ahi rolls.  First, heat cooking oil in a pan  on medium heat.  

While your oil is heating up, slice your ahi into long strips.

Wrap a strip of raw ahi with a full sheet of nori (seaweed) horizontally.   Dab your finger in water to seal the end of the nori so that your ahi roll doesn't unroll.  Then dip the roll into the tempura batter so that the roll is completely covered with batter.  Then deep fry on all sides. Since you want the middle of your ahi to still be raw (like seared ahi), do not fry for a long period - maybe 2 minutes per side or even shorter. 

 Remove from the  pan, slice at an angle, and enjoy! I like to dip these in mentsuyu sauce, but you can use just plain shoyu (with wasabi if you want to take it up a notch!).