Soboro Don

Japanese people have a thing for naming things for the vessel they come in (see nabe), and this is no exception. Donburi literally means “bowl”, but it typically refers to a bowl of rice topped with something. Japanese people also like abbreviating things, so donburi becomes “don” in common parlance.This is the ultimate weeknight meal as it takes almost no time to make. It’s also fantastic in bento boxes for lunch. I usually make a batch of onsen tamago (slow cooked egg) over a weekend as it takes a bit of time to make, if you haven’t make any ahead of time, this also great topped with a sunny side up egg, or scrambled egg, or even no egg at all.The chicken is quickly cooked in a sweet soy sauce (think teriyaki sauce), and sandwiches a thin layer of green onions over rice. The onsen tamago, permeates the entire dish with a custardy creaminess that you just can’t beaten.You could do a lot with this basic recipe too. Try using beef or pork, or even crumbled firm tofu. You could also add veggies. For seasoning, it’s great with a little sesame oil, garlic, or if you want to give it a little kick, add some gochujang (Korean hot sauce).

Yield:

Serves 1-2

Ingredients

1. 1/2 lbs ground chicken
2. 1/2 tsp ginger
3. 1 tsp sugar
4. 2tbs mirin
5. 1tbs soysauce
6. freshly cooked rice
7. 1 green onion thinly sliced
8. 2 onsen tamago
9. Shichimi pepper powder (optional for garnish)

Directions

1. Put a bit of oil in a pan over medium heat and add the ginger. Saute until it’s fragrant then add the chicken, using a spatula to break it up into little crumbles until it is no longer pink.
2. Add the sugar and mirin and stir to coat the chicken bits. Add the soy sauce and cook until the liquid is mostly evaporated (careful not to dry the chicken out).
3. Put your hot rice in a bowl and top with a layer of green onions, then cover with the cooked chicken. Top with an onsen tamago and garnish with some Shichimi pepper powder.

Notes

Pea and Minced Beef Donburi

Japanese people have a thing for naming things for the vessel they come in (see nabe), and this is no exception. Donburi literally means “bowl”, but it typically refers to a bowl of rice topped with something. Japanese people also like abbreviating things, so donburi becomes “don” in common parlance.

Yield:

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1. 200g peas (podded)
2. salt
3. 200 g minced beef
4. 1/2 stalk long onion
5. 2 fresh shiitake mushurooms
6. 1 tsp garlic (finely chopped)
7. 1 tbsp sesame oil
8. 5 cups (4 bowls) cooked rice
9. .
10. For the sauce
11. ============
12. 2 tbsp Kikkoman Manjo Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
13. 2 tbsp miso (soy bean paste)
14. 1 tbsp Soy sauce
15. 2 tsp sugar
16. 2 tsp oyster sauce
17. 1 egg (scrambled and well cooked)

Directions

1. Boil peas in salted water until softened. Cool peas in the stock.
2. Finely chop long onion and shiitake mushrooms.
3. Heat sesame oil and stir-fry minced beef and garlic. When cooked, add long onion and shiitake mushrooms and stir. Add the sauce and mix well.
4. Add peas and heat until it boils. Put the peas and beef on rice and sprinkle scrambled egg.

Notes

Soborodon

Japanese people have a thing for naming things for the vessel they come in (see nabe), and this is no exception. Donburi literally means “bowl”, but it typically refers to a bowl of rice topped with something. Japanese people also like abbreviating things, so donburi becomes “don” in common parlance.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 5 cups cooked rice
2. 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
3. 2/5 cup water reserved from soaking mushrooms
4. 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
5. 3 tbsp Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
6. 2/5 cup + 1 tbsp dashi stock
7. 1 tsp sugar
8. 4 eggs
9. 1 tbsp sake
10. salt
11. 200 g ground chicken
12. 1/2 tsp ginger juice
13. 80 g ( 3 oz. ) snow peas

Directions

1. Soak the mushrooms in 5/6 C (200ml) of lukewarm water for 20 minutes to soften. Remove the stems and reserve a 2/5 C of the soaking water. Combine the reserved water, 1 T each of the soy sauce and mirin, 2/5 C of the dashi, and the sugar and mushrooms in a saucepan. Cover with a drop-lid and the pan lid. Simmer until most of the liquid is gone. Thinly slice the mushrooms.
2. Beat the eggs with the sake and a pinch of salt. Pour into a heated, ungreased skillet and scramble.
3. Combine the chicken, remaining soy sauce, mirin, and dashi, and the ginger juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the broth is neatly gone.
4. Trim the peas and boil in lightly salted water for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and spread out in a colander to cool. Thinly slice at a diagonal.
5. Divide the hot rice among 4 individual serving bowls. Arrange 1/4 of the chicken, egg, mushrooms, and peas over each portion of rice.

Notes

Gyūdon 牛丼

Gyudon

Gyūdon (牛丼), often literally translated into English as beef bowl, is a Japanese dish consisting of a bowl of rice topped with beef and onion simmered in a mildly sweet sauce flavored with dashi, soy sauce and mirin. It also often includes shirataki. A very popular food in Japan, it is commonly served with beni shoga (pickled ginger), shichimi, and a side dish of miso soup. Gyū means "cow" or "beef", and don is short for donburi, the Japanese word for "bowl".

Ingredients

1. 4 cups steamed Japanese rice
2. 1 pound thinly sliced beef cut into bite-sized pieces
3. 1 onion, sliced thinly
4. 1 1/3 cup dashi soup
5. 5 Tbsps soy sauce
6. 3 Tbsps mirin
7. 2 Tbsps sugar
8. 1 tsp sake
9. benishoga (red ginger) for topping

Directions

1. Cook Japanese rice.
2. Put dashi, soysauce, sugar, mirin, and sake in a pan. Add onion slices in the pot and simmer for a few minutes.
3. Add beef in the pan and simmer for a few more minutes.
4. Serve hot steamed rice in a deep rice bowl. Put the beef topping on the top of rice.
5. Place some benishoga (red ginger) on the top if you would like