Japanese · 40 min · serves 4

Yasai Donburi (Vegetable Rice Bowl)

Kept by The Bhook kitchen

Ingredients

• 300 g cooked short-grain rice
• 1 small carrot
• 150 g spinach
• 100 g shiitake mushrooms (fresh or rehydrated)
• 150 g firm tofu
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

1. Cut tofu into 2 cm cubes. Slice carrot thinly, slice mushrooms, and roughly chop the spinach.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium. Add tofu cubes and fry until golden on all sides (they’ll sound crisp and move easily in the pan). Remove tofu.
3. In the same pan, add carrot and mushrooms, sauté for 4-5 min, until the carrots soften and mushrooms shrink.
4. Add spinach, tossing until wilted and bright green.
5. Return tofu to the pan. Add soy sauce and mirin. Stir gently until coated and tofu is glossy.
6. Scoop hot rice into bowls, top with the vegetable-tofu mix, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. The bowl should look colorful and smell nutty.

Let the tofu brown fully before turning, or you’ll break it up.