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Donburi is basically rice, served in a bowl, with something on top. For example, gyuudon - beef on rice - is gyuudon, which literally translates to "beef bowl." Oyakodon, "mother-and-child bowl," is chicken and egg over rice. But you don't have to follow a specific recipe; you can use whatever suits your taste. I have made a few so far, and plan to add more to this page as I try them out.

Chicken, mushroom, and vegetable donburi | Gyuudon
Oyakodon | Sesame Jellyfish Donburi | Tendon | Free-form donburi

Chicken, Mushroom, and Vegetable Donburi

This started out as a free-form "use this stuff up" donburi, but it turned out so well I'm posting a recipe.

What you need:

rice
1 chicken breast
1/2 onion
a handful of snow peas
a cup or so of sliced white mushrooms
1 zucchini squash, cut into bite-sized pieces
canola oil for cooking
a dash of sesame oil, if you have it
soy sauce, if desired

Start the rice. You can make the rest of the meal while that's cooking.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and slice the onion into smallish chunks. Stir-fry those in a tablespoon of canola oil over medium heat. Then add the mushrooms, cover, and cook for abut five minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, when the mushrooms are soft and moist, add the zucchini, snow peas, and sesame oil. Raise the heat a bit and stir-fry for a few more minutes, then serve over hot rice. Add soy sauce if desired.

Chicken & Mushroom Donburi

What you need:

rice
1 chicken breast
a box of mushrooms (8 ounces, or more or less depending on your preference)
2 tablespoons of butter

Start the rice. You can make the rest of the meal while that's cooking.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Cut the mushrooms up according to your taste if you didn't buy them pre-sliced. Heat a large pan on low, melt the butter in it, then add the mushrooms and stir them around so they get a coating of butter. Cover and let them cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they darken and start releasing juice. Push the mushrooms to one side of the pan, tilt it so the juice runs into the empty part, then stir-fry the chicken in that. When the chicken turns white turn the heat up to medium high and stir-fry the chicken and mushrooms together for a few minutes. Serve over rice with soy sauce.

Gyuudon

As stated below, "Gyuudon" translates to "beef bowl." Beef 'n' onion over rice, simple and hearty. I posted a recipe before I made a page for donburi, so I'm going to be lazy and just link to that page.

Oyakodon

Oyakodon, "Parent and child bowl," is chicken and eggs over rice. Get it, parent and child, chicken and egg? Yes, I think it's creepy too.

What you need for two servings:

4 cups of rice
1 chicken breast
1/2 onion
1/4 cup of water, flavored with hon-dashi if you have it
2.5 tbsps of soy sauce
2 tbsps of sake
2 tbsps of mirin
2 tbsps of sugar
3 eggs

Start the rice. You can make the rest of the meal while that's cooking.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and slice the onion into smallish chunks. Mix the water, sake, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce. Heat a pan on medium high heat, put the aforementioned mixture in, and bring it to a boil. Add the chicken and onion and simmer them until the chicken is cooked. Beat the eggs together, then pour them in along the edge and through the center of the pan. Cover and simmer while shaking the pan gently. Turn off the heat, put the rice into the bowls, then cover with the chicken-egg mixture. There will be enough liquid under the chicken & eggs to season the rice.

Sesame Jellyfish Donburi

No, I'm not kidding. I made and ate this. It's mainly a texture dish, as jellyfish by itself doesn't have a lot of flavor. I honestly didn't find it all that great, but for those who are feeling adventurous or just plain curious, here's how to fix this strange meal: Soak the jellyfish in cold water for three hours, changing the water at half-hour intervals, to diffuse the salt out. (Jellyfish are saltwater critters, y'know.) Then soak it in hot water for 5 minutes and cool in cold water immediately. Tear the jellyfish into bite-sized pieces. Mix 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Soak the jellyfish in this for a half hour, then serve it over hot rice and shake sesame seeds over it.

Tendon

No, this isn't something from an anatomy class. Tendon is short for tempura donburi. Simply put some tempura (breaded, deep-fried seafood and vegetables) over rice and there you go. It's a great way to use up tempura leftovers.

Free-form donburi

"Free-form donburi" is a fancy term for "combinations I just made up." They include:

• Chicken, omelet noodles, and broccoli - Ingredients: small florets of steamed broccoli, noodles made from an omelet according to the chirashi-zushi recipe, and chicken breast, cut up very small and stir-fried in a little butter. Arrange in a pleasing pattern over rice. (The separate recipes for the ingredients make this look like a hassle, but it really goes very quickly.)
• Broccoli "flowers" and chicken - Stir-fry some chicken according to the above instructions. Cook steamed broccoli, and when cutting the vegetable up make coins of some of the upper stem where it starts separating into florets. Those oddly-shaped pieces look like funky '60s flowers. Place the "flowers" in patterns on the rice, leaving some space for the chicken to reside.
• pork, bell pepper, and mushroom donburi - cut up a serving of leftover My Mom's Pork Chops and serve over rice.