Recipe: Tempura and Chicken Nanban Bento

Image Credit: umakemehungry

The delicious Tempura and Chicken Nanban Bento is a dish that originated from Japan. The recipe features a tasty chicken with delicious sauces and shrimp tempura that is placed over steamed rice. Bentos follow the idea of home-packed meals, which is very common in Japan.

They are generally eaten at room temperature. However, the bento can be reheated in a toaster oven for a more fresh-tasting meal. Are you interested in checking out the Tempura & Chicken Nanban Bento? Take a peep at the recipe down below to try it out!

Ingredients (2 Servings):

(For the Fried Chicken)

• 500g of chicken thigh
• 2 pieces of eggs
• 60g of flour
• 60g of cornstarch
• Sea salt and black pepper (A Pinch)
• Vegetable Oil

(For the Nanban Sauce)

• 125 ml of Mirin (Japanese Sweet Rice Wine)
• 125 ml vinegar
• 60 ml of soy sauce
• 4 tbsp of sugar
• 1 piece of Kombu

(For the Tartar Sauce)

• 2 pieces of boiled eggs (chopped)
• 1 ½ of chopped onion
• 6 tbsp of Japanese mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• 1 tsp of Dijon mustard

(For the Tempura)

• Shrimp tempura
• Japanese short-grain rice

Directions:

1. Prepare the dish by first preparing the chicken to be fried. Take the eggs and lightly beat it in a bowl and then cut the chicken thighs into smaller pieces, combining it with the beaten eggs. Mix the flour and cornstarch in a container.
2. Proceed to add the chicken pieces into the flour mixture. Cover the box with a lid and give it a good shake to allow the surface of the chicken to be coated.
3. In a wok, proceed to heat the vegetable oil and then add some chicken pieces to be fried. The chicken should be cooked until a golden brown colour, which will take about 3 minutes.
4. To make the Nanban sauce, start by combining all of the ingredients and then placing it above heat to boil. Once it has been cooked, reduce the heat to allow it to simmer. After a minute, turn off the heat. Ensure that the kombu is removed.
5. Take the chicken pieces and then dip it in the Nanban sauce and coat the chicken properly.
6. To make the tartar sauce, mix all of the ingredients and then as a topping, place it above the chicken.
7. To make the tempura, place the frozen tempera into a toaster oven until it is adequately heated. Once it has been cooked, set it aside to be cooled. The Japanese rice should be defrosted and then fried.
8. Assemble the Nanban chicken, tempura and Japanese rice to create the delicious dish. The dish is best paired with green tea for a hearty meal. 

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