Classic Tendon Bowl
Tendon, short for tempura donburi, features an assortment of crispy tempura pieces served over a bed of steamed rice. This recipe includes classic shrimp and vegetable tempura drizzled with a savory-sweet sauce.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 50 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 1,111 kcal
Allergen information: may contain crustaceans, eggs, fish, gluten, soy, and sulphites. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
tempura
- 8 pcsshrimp, peeled, deveined, tail on
- 0.5 pcseggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- 0.5 pcssweet potato, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 6 pcsgreen bean
tempura batter
- 0.75 cupall-purpose flour
- 0.25 cupcornstarch
- 1 pcsegg yolk
- 0.75 cupice water
frying
- 3 cupvegetable oil, for frying
tendon sauce
- 3 tbspsoy sauce
- 3 tbspmirin
- 2 tbspsake
- 1 tbspsugar
- 0.5 cupdashi
serving
- 2 cupsteamed rice, cooked
Equipment
saucepan · donburi bowls · deep pot · slotted spoon · paper towels · wire rack · medium bowl · whisk · kitchen thermometer
The method
Step by step
- 1
Prepare the tendon sauce by combining the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and dashi in a small saucepan.
About 2 min
- 2
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: Do not boil the sauce vigorously.
- 3
Remove the sauce from heat and set aside.
- 4
Pat the shrimp and prepared vegetables very dry with paper towels.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: Excess moisture can prevent the tempura batter from sticking properly.
- 5
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
About 1 min
- 6
In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg yolk and then stir in the ice water.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: Keep the water as cold as possible; this helps create a crispier tempura.
- 7
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix sparingly with chopsticks or a fork until just combined; a few lumps are desirable.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: Overmixing will develop gluten and make the tempura less crispy.
- 8
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep pot or Dutch oven to 170°C (340°F).
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Use a thermometer to ensure the oil maintains a consistent temperature.
- 9
Lightly dust a few pieces of shrimp or vegetables with a small amount of extra all-purpose flour before dipping them into the tempura batter.
Cook’s note: This helps the batter adhere better.
- 10
Carefully place the battered items into the hot oil, frying in small batches to avoid overcrowding.
About 6 min
Cook’s note: Overcrowding lowers the oil temperature and results in soggy tempura.
- 11
Fry each batch for 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy.
Cook’s note: Adjust cooking time based on the size of the tempura pieces.
- 12
Remove the cooked tempura with a slotted spoon or spider and transfer to a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
- 13
Repeat with the remaining shrimp and vegetables.
About 10 min
- 14
To serve, divide the steamed rice into two donburi bowls.
About 1 min
- 15
Arrange a selection of freshly fried tempura pieces over the rice in each bowl.
About 1 min
- 16
Drizzle the warm tendon sauce generously over the tempura and rice.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: Serve immediately for the best crispy texture.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 1,111.4kcal
- Protein
- 34.1g
- Carbs
- 138.6g
- Fat
- 43.3g
- Fibre
- 6.7g
- Sugar
- 20.4g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover tempura and rice separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Reheat tempura in an air fryer or oven at 180°C (350°F) for 5-7 minutes until crispy. Reheat rice in the microwave.