If you visit Japan and see tendon on the menu, don’t worry; it’s not “connective tissue” that’s being served! Tendon (天丼) is actually a shortened name for a dish called tempura donburi or tempura rice bowl. There are many ways to enjoy tempura—over noodles, in rice balls, dipped in sauce, or sprinkled with sea salt. Today, I want to show you how to serve it over steamed rice in a large donburi bowl with thick and savory sauce drizzled on top. Read on to see how to assemble this comforting and satisfying rice bowl in this Tendon guide!
What is Tendon or Tempura Bowl?
The name tendon is actually a mash up of two words—tempura (天ぷら) and donburi (丼ぶり). This Japanese dish consists of assorted ingredients that are lightly battered and deep-fried, then served with a sweet-salty sauce on a bed of steamed rice in a large donburi bowl. While you can make tempura with a wide range of fresh ingredients, the most common options are seafood, mushrooms, and root vegetables. For a classic tendon, I recommend serving both shrimp tempura and vegetable tempura. The type of tempura you add to this bowl can be anything you’d like, actually. You could even use a regional tempura variation like chicken tempura (toriten).
Reheat Leftover Tempura for Tendon
The beauty of tendon is that you can use leftover tempura, too! Simply reheat the leftovers in an oven or toaster oven and assemble your bowl. (See instructions below.) Make a big batch of tempura one day for a quick and satisfying tendon meal the next!
Use Thicker Tempura Sauce for Tendon
When eating regular tempura, we dip the tempura in a thin dipping sauce called tentsuyu. However, we typically serve tendon with a thicker and saltier tentsuyu sauce. The concentrated, strong flavor pairs well with plain steamed rice. We drizzle this sauce in two steps: First over the hot rice, then on top of the deep-fried tempura ingredients. It’s then ready to serve. To make the tempura sauce, you can reduce the tentsuyu in a pot over the stove. Simply let the moisture evaporate, which thickens the sauce. You can also add a bit of mirin or/and sugar to make it slightly sweeter.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Tendon
cooked Japanese short-grain rice – typically 1⅔ cups (250 g) per serving for a large donburi bowl shrimp tempura – we typically use black tiger prawns for home cooking; try either my standard or gluten-free (with rice flour) tempura batter for golden crispy shrimp vegetable tempura – my recipe uses Japanese sweet potato (Satsumaimo), lotus root, Japanese eggplant, kabocha squash, and shiso (perilla) leaf; shiitake mushrooms or king oyster mushrooms are also delicious; use your favorite vegetables tempura dipping sauce – made with dashi (Japanese soup stock), soy sauce, mirin, and sugar
How To Assemble Tendon (Tempura Rice Bowl)
Make Donburi (Rice Bowl) for a Quick Dinner
Donburi is a handy dish that does not take much time to prepare, typically less than 30 minutes. I often make rice bowls for dinner when my children are busy with lots of activities. I complete the meal with homemade miso soup and salad. Here are some of my go-to donburi recipes:
Gyudon Oyakodon Unadon (Unagi Don) Chicken Katsu Don Tekka Don (Tuna Bowl) Salmon & Salmon Roe Don Soboro Don
Crispy, crunchy tempura on rice is simply delicious. If you are eating leftover tempura on the following day, make sure to reheat the tempura in a toaster oven or oven. DO NOT use a microwave to heat up because it will make them soggy. Enjoy! Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
