Notes on street food, batters and frying temperatures.
Almost every time it comes down to moisture. Pat the sausages completely dry, give them a thin coat of starch, and let the batter rest for ten minutes before dipping. The starch layer gives the batter something to hold on to.
I tried the same batch at 165, 175 and 185 °C. At 165 the crust soaked up oil and went soft within minutes. 185 browned too fast and left the middle raw. 175 °C, three minutes, turning once, gave the most even result.
Fine cornmeal gives a smooth, cake-like shell. Coarse adds crunch but cracks more easily. A half-and-half mix has become my default.