Vegetable Tempura Rice Bowl (Tendon)
Tempura rice bowl (Tendon) is a classic Japanese dish featuring crisp tempura over steamed rice, finished with a sweet-savory sauce. Simple to prepare and perfect for enjoying at home!
Looking for more tempura recipes? Try my Kakiage Tempura Sweet Potato Tempura, or Okra Tempura!
Featured Comment
From Lindsay: “This is a very easy recipe and makes up quickly. The flavor is delicious.”
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this tendon:
How To Make Tendon: STEP BY STEP
Here’s a quick visual guide! Check the recipe card below for the video and full details!
Step 1
Prepare the eggplant, kabocha, and shishito peppers.
Step 2
Mix the tempura batter ingredients in a bowl.
Step 3
Dip the vegetables into the batter and fry until golden and crispy.
Step 4
Transfer to a wire rack or paper towels to drain.
Step 5
In a small saucepan, heat soy sauce, mirin, and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
Step 6
Serve rice in a bowl, drizzle with sauce, and arrange the tempura on top.
Enjoy this delicious tempura rice bowl right away for the best crispy texture!
Recipe Tips
What To Serve With
For a complete meal, I recommend serving this tendon alongside a bowl of eggplant miso soup or tofu and okra miso soup.
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Vegetable Tempura Rice Bowl (Tendon)
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the Vegetables: Cut the eggplants into quarters and score the skin with thin slits. Slice the kabocha into thin pieces. Make a small slit along each shishito pepper to prevent bursting while frying.
- Make the Batter: Beat the egg in a bowl. Add cold water and flour and stir gently.
- Fry the Tempura: Heat oil in a deep pan to 170°C (340°F). Dip the vegetables into the batter and carefully place them into the hot oil. Fry until crisp, then transfer to a wire rack or paper towels to drain.
- Make the Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves.
- Assemble the Tendon: Serve steamed rice in a bowl and drizzle with some of the tempura sauce. Arrange the tempura on top of the rice and pour a little more sauce over it. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t mix the batter until it’s smooth. A few lumps are ok! Over-mixing develops gluten, which makes the tempura heavy and chewy.
- If you prefer an extra crispy texture, use carbonated water instead of regular water. The bubbles create little air pockets, giving the tempura a light and extra-crispy texture.
- Lightly coat the veggies with flour before dipping them into the batter (see image below). This helps the batter stick better and keeps the coating from sliding off when frying.
Video
Nutrition
This nutritional information is estimated and provided for general reference only.
This is a very easy recipe and makes up quickly. The flavor is delicious.
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, Lindsay! I’m so glad you loved it!
So delish and very easy to make.