Name: Tendon
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 cups Short-grain Japanese rice, cooked; 8 pieces Large black tiger prawns, peeled and deveined; 1 medium Sweet potato, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds; 4 slices Kabocha squash, thinly sliced; 8 pieces Shishito peppers; 1 cup Tempura flour (or cake flour); 1 cup Ice-cold water; 1 large Egg yolk; 1 quart Neutral oil for frying; 0.5 cup Dashi stock; 4 tbsp Soy sauce; 4 tbsp Mirin; 1 tbsp Sugar

Main Dishes

Tendon

Indulge in the ultimate Japanese comfort food with this authentic Tendon recipe. It features light, lacy tempura prawns and seasonal vegetables served over a bed of steaming short-grain rice, all finished with a rich, house-made tentsuyu glaze.

Prep

25m

Cook

20m

Serves

Calories

720kcal

Qty	Ingredient
4 cups 800 g	Short-grain Japanese rice, cooked
8 pieces 8 pieces	Large black tiger prawns, peeled and deveined
1 medium 150 g	Sweet potato, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
4 slices 100 g	Kabocha squash, thinly sliced
8 pieces 8 pieces	Shishito peppers
1 cup 120 g	Tempura flour (or cake flour)
1 cup 240 ml	Ice-cold water
1 large 1 large	Egg yolk
1 quart 1 liter	Neutral oil for frying
0.5 cup 120 ml	Dashi stock
4 tbsp 60 ml	Soy sauce
4 tbsp 60 ml	Mirin
1 tbsp 12 g	Sugar

2 Method

Step 1. Prepare the sauce by combining dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and let it thicken slightly for 3-5 minutes. Set aside.

Step 2. Prepare the prawns: make 3-4 small shallow incisions on the belly side. Gently press the prawn down to stretch it until it stays straight. This prevents curling during frying.

Step 3. Heat the frying oil in a deep pot to 340°F (170°C) for the vegetables and 350°F (180°C) for the prawns.

Step 4. Prepare the tempura batter: in a bowl, mix the egg yolk and ice-cold water. Add the tempura flour and stir briefly with chopsticks. Do not overmix; lumps are essential for a crispy texture.

Step 5. Lightly coat the vegetables and prawns in a dusting of dry flour before dipping them into the batter.

Step 6. Fry the vegetables first until crispy (about 2 minutes), then fry the prawns for 2-3 minutes until golden and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack.

Step 7. To assemble, place a portion of hot rice in each bowl. Drizzle a little sauce over the rice.

Step 8. Arrange the fried tempura pieces artistically on top of the rice and drizzle generously with the remaining sauce. Serve immediately while hot.

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Always use ice-cold water for the batter to ensure a light, crispy texture.
·
Do not overmix the batter; excess mixing develops gluten which makes the tempura chewy instead of crunchy.
·
Maintain oil temperature; if it drops too low, the tempura will absorb too much oil and become greasy.
·
Drying your vegetables and prawns thoroughly before flouring helps the batter stick better.