Rice with Tempura ~ Ten-don
Classic main course of Japanese cuisine, suggested here with our rice and with all the precautions to make the frying light and crunchy.
| Servings | Preparation Time |
| 4people | 2,5hours |
| Cooking Time | Passive Time |
| 45minutes | 1,5hours |
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Ingredients
Rice
- 360g De Tacchi Vialone Nano rice
Tempura
- 250g 00 Flour
- 250g Rice Flour
- 75g Potato starch
- 1l Frying Oil
- Cold sparkling water
- Salt
Tentsuyu Sauce
- 5-6g Dried Konbu Seaweeds
- 400ml Water
- 130ml Mirin
- 130ml Soy sauce
Instructions
Rice
- Wash the rice 2-3 times before cooking, putting it in a bowl with cold water and rubbing it between your fingers. Discard the water and repeat the operation until the water remains clear (the waste water can be used to prepare a soup or other dishes). Throw in lightly salted boiling water and drain after 10-12 minutes, depending on the desired consistency.
Other possible ways of cooking rice
- Automatic cooking with a rice-cooker: for those who have it, the cooking varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, so please refer to their instructions.
- Japanese traditional rice cooking: consists of immersing the rice in an equal amount of cold water, cover the pot tightly (you can use regular kitchen firm) and then put it on low heat until the rice drinks all the water. It requires a certain sensitivity and experience to understand when the rice is actually ready (the cover shouldn’t be removed before the rice is cooked) and to prevent it from sticking too much to the bottom of the pot.
- Pilaf cooking (more indicated for Carnaroli rice): make the rice toast with oil for a few minutes (if you want, you can flavor it with a little onion and spices), add twice the amount of water (or broth), bring to a boil, cover and put in the oven at 190 degrees for 15 minutes. This firing is useful if you want a rice that remains grainy and consistent.
Tentsuyu Sauce
- Soak the seaweeds for 2 hours in a covered pot, then slowly bring it to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes; discard the seaweeds and keep the remaining broth. If you have little time you can soak the seaweeds for 20 minutes, then make them simmer for half an hour. Put the broth back into the saucepan and add the parts of mirin and soy sauce (and possibly also a drop of sake), heat for a few minutes on low heat, then add the grated fresh ginger.
Tempura
- Mix the flour with water, adding a little at the beginning and then gradually more and more until the mixture is almost liquid (the dough should drip if you immerse your fingers in it and then raise the hand).
- It’s advisable to use moderate amounts for each individual vegetable, so it’s better to cut off only about a dozen pieces per type of vegetable (taking into account the final total amount). The same recipe can also be applied to crustaceans or small fish.
- Put to warm up abundant frying oil in a large and capacious pot (ideally a wok). The temperature of the oil during frying should be between 170° and 180° (it is advisable to have a thermometer to keep it controlled).
- Cut the vegetables into slices or into thin strips, dip them in the batter and then throw them in the oil. Fry for a few minutes, taking care to keep them separated from each other so that they do not stick during frying, then remove from the oil before they start to become dark. If you have a grid to be positioned on the edge of the wok you can use it to drain the vegetables prior to transfer them to another container with absorbent paper (otherwise transfer them directly into the vessel with the paper).
- Serve in large bowls, putting the rice before and then the slices of tempura on top. Sprinkle generously with sauce and serve.
