Shiso (Perilla) has become popular, and more and more people are growing Shiso at home as it is often difficult to purchase from stores. If you are growing Shiso, you might be struggling to consume it and looking for recipes. Do you know you can eat not only leaves but also flowers? Some people harvest them when they are flowering, but I like them when seeds are developing in the pods. This is a very popular dish in Japan. There is a famous poem about it.

Ingredients

Shiso Flowers *can have small leaves attached

Plain Flour as required
Tempura Batter as required *see ‘Method 1’
Oil for frying

Quick & Easy Tempura Batter
*Note: This amount should be enough for 20 flowers.
3 tablespoons Plain Flour
1 tablespoon Potato Starch OR Corn Starch
4 tablespoons Cold Water

Method
  1. Tempura Batter can be made without Tempura Batter Mix. Equal volume of Cold Water (Egg is often added) and Plain Flour (Potato Starch is often added) will be mixed lightly to make the batter. For a small amount, you don’t need to add Egg.
  2. Harvest Shiso flowers when they are young and flowering OR when seeds are developing in the pods. As I like the texture of the seeds, I harvest when flowering is finished. *Note: I recommend smaller and softer flowers for cooking. Large flowers are good for collecting seeds.
  3. Wash the flowers in plenty of water, drain very well, sprinkle with some Plain Flour, and lightly coat them.
  4. Heat 4-5cm deep Oil in a large saucepan to 170 to 180℃.
  5. Dip Shiso Flowers into the batter, shake off excess batter, and place in the Oil one at a time. Fry in batches until batter is crispy. Transfer to a wire rack OR a plate lined with paper towel.
  6. Serve with Salt OR ‘Tentsuyu’ (Tempura Dipping Sauce) immediately. If the stems are hard, do not try to eat the stems and enjoy the flower pods only.