Niratama donburi is a popular Japanese dish consisting of garlic chives and eggs cooked in a sweet and savory broth that’s served over rice. It’s a comforting dish that’s kid friendly and filling enough to be served on it own.
Niratama donburi, which literally means ‘chive egg rice bowl’, is a recipe homemakers across Japan love to make because it only takes 15 to minutes from start to finish. Not only is it easy to make, it’s also filling, tasty, and nutritious.
Table of contents
Niratama donburi ingredients
- Garlic chives: Garlic chives are a type of chive that is often used in Asian cooking, like Korean chive pancakes. It’s different than regular chives in that they taste stronger, are more garlicky, and are flat like grass.
- Eggs: You will need 4 large eggs to make this recipe. I recommend using pasture-raised eggs because they taste better (significantly better). And since this recipe is all about eggs, it’s worth spending a little extra to get the tastiest niratama donburi bowl.
- Sauce: A mixture of mirin, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and chicken stock.
- Sesame oil: I recommend using toasted sesame oil to get the most intense and rich sesame taste. Toasted sesame oil has a lower smoke point than regular sesame oil which is why it’s added at the very last minute. This prevents it from turning rancid.
- Rice: Cooked Japanese rice is the only rice you should be using for this recipe because of its sticky and chewy texture.
How to make it
- Heat up a skillet and cook the garlic chives.
- Whisk the eggs with the sauce and add the mixture to the skillet. Cook the eggs until they are 90% done.
- Turn the heat off and add the sesame oil.
- Add the rice to 2 serving bowls and top with the chive and egg mixture. Serve.
Expert Cooking Tip
Leave the eggs a little uncooked. Not cooking the eggs all the way through is the key to making delicious niratama donburi. That’s because the eggs will continue cooking once they are over the rice and reach the perfect creamy texture. While I usually cook the eggs until they are about 90% done (I do the same for scrambled eggs), I will sometimes do 80% if I know that the person I am serving them to likes extra creamy. This is what gives the dish decadence and what makes it so irresistible.
Storage and reheating
To store: Transfer niratama donburi to an airtight storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes. Or, warm up the leftovers in a skillet over low heat for a few minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, as long as the brown rice you are using is Japanese brown rice (called genmai). Japanese brown rice is chewier and stickier than other types of brown rice, making it the better option to serve with this dish.
Not really since the texture and taste are quite different. If you cannot find garlic chives – which should be fairly easy to find at a Chinese grocery store or other Asian supermarket – I recommend using green onions or garlic scapes.
How to serve niratama donburi
Niratama donburi is quite filling and doesn’t technically need to be served with sides. However, it’s always a good thing to serve it with condiments such as ichimi togarashi (ground red chili peppers), soy sauce, and rice vinegar. This way, each person can season their bowl to their own liking.
As for sides, since this dish is filling, I recommend small plates like tsukemono, pickled cabbage, Korean cucumber salad, edamame, gomae, or Japanese coleslaw. Or serve it with a small bowl of miso soup, Korean seaweed soup, or hot and sour soup.
Other Donburi You Might Like To Try
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Niratama Donburi
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
A delicious Japanese dish consisting of garlic chives and eggs cooked in a sweet and savory broth, and served over rice.
Ingredients
- small handful, about half a bunch, garlic chives (nira)
- 4 large eggs, whisked
- 1 teaspoon mirin
- 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons low sodium chicken stock mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tablespoon neutral oil such as vegetable oil or grapeseed oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 cups cooked Japanese rice, warm
Instructions
- Slice the garlic chives: Line the garlic chives so they are even in length. Slice off the root ends and slice the chives into 2-inch long pieces. Set aside.
- Season the eggs: Add the mirin, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and chicken stock slurry to the whisked eggs, and stir well to combine. Set aside
- Heat up the skillet: Place a deep skillet over medium high heat.
- Cook the garlic chives: When the skillet is hot, add the oil and garlic chives and stir fry for 1 minute, or until they start to wilt.
- Cook the eggs: Pour in the whisked eggs and let them set for a few seconds. Then, using chopsticks, gently push the cooked portions toward the center of the skillet, allowing the uncooked eggs to flow to the edges. Keep doing this until 90% of the eggs are cooked. It’s okay to leave a little uncooked as it adds creaminess to the dish and will eventually cook when served with the warm rice.
- Serve: Turn the heat off and drizzle the sesame oil on top. Divide the warm rice among two bowls and evenly top each bowl with the niratama mixture. Serve.
Notes
Condiments to serve with: Serve niratama donburi with ichimi or shichimi, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and spicy chili crisp.
Storage: Transfer the leftovers to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 571
- Sugar: 1.9g
- Sodium: 405mg
- Fat: 22.8g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 70g
- Fiber: 2.1g
- Protein: 20.1g
- Cholesterol: 372mg
