Tendon (Tempura Donburi) 天丼 (天婦羅蓋飯)

Tendon, short for Tempura Donburi, is a popular Japanese dish featuring crispy tempura (typically shrimp and various vegetables) served over a bed of steamed rice, all drizzled with a savory-sweet sauce called tentsuyu.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• 10 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail on
• 1/2 eggplant, sliced into rounds
• 1/2 green bell pepper, deseeded and sliced
• 1/2 sweet potato, thinly sliced
• 2 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
• 4 lotus root slices (optional)
• 150g tempura flour
• 200ml ice-cold water
• 1 egg yolk
• 500ml vegetable oil for frying
• 100ml dashi stock
• 50ml soy sauce
• 50ml mirin
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 400g cooked Japanese short-grain rice

Steps

1. Gently score the belly of each shrimp a few times to prevent curling when fried. Pat shrimp and all vegetables dry with paper towels.
2. In a small saucepan, combine dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Keep warm.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together tempura flour, ice-cold water, and egg yolk until just combined. Do not overmix; lumps are fine. Keep the batter cold.
4. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot or wok to 170-180°C (340-350°F). Lightly dust shrimp and vegetables with a thin layer of tempura flour. Dip each piece into the batter, letting excess drip off. Fry in batches until golden and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack.
5. Divide cooked Japanese short-grain rice into serving bowls. Arrange the freshly fried tempura pieces artfully over the rice. Drizzle generously with the warm Tendon sauce (tentsuyu). Serve immediately.

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