I've been vegan for more than a decade: This is the Japanese-inspired recipe I always fall back on when I'm too tired to even think

There's a specific kind of tired where even deciding what to eat feels like too much. After more than ten years of plant-based cooking, I've noticed something: the recipes that stick around aren't the impressive ones you make for guests. They're the ones that meet you where you are on a Tuesday night when your brain has fully checked out. This crispy tofu donburi is that recipe for me—a rice bowl that looks like you tried, tastes like comfort, and requires almost no mental energy to pull off.

Why this works when nothing else does

Donburi, the Japanese rice bowl tradition, is built on a brilliant premise: hot rice becomes the foundation for whatever you have. The rice cooker does its thing while you handle everything else, which amounts to crisping tofu and slicing whatever vegetables survived the week. There's no complicated sauce to whisk or technique to master. The tofu gets crispy from cornstarch and a hot pan. The vegetables stay raw or get a quick pickle. Everything comes together in one bowl, and somehow it feels complete.

Some nights even turning on the stove feels like too much. On those nights, I skip the frying entirely and let the tofu marinate in the sauce while the rice cooks. It's a different texture—soft and savory instead of crispy—but it works.

Crispy tofu donburi

Yield: 2 generous bowls
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the rice:

• 1½ cups uncooked short-grain white rice (or brown rice)
• 2¼ cups water (or follow rice cooker instructions)

For the tofu:

• 14 oz (400g) block firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into ¾-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch (or potato starch)
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable, grapeseed, or canola)
• Pinch of salt

For the sauce:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (use tamari for gluten-free)
• 1 tablespoon mirin (or 1 tablespoon rice vinegar + ½ teaspoon sugar)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or agave, or sugar)

For the bowl:

• 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 2 cups (about 2 handfuls) fresh greens (spinach, arugula, mixed greens, or baby kale)
• 2 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (white or black) for topping
• Optional: pickled ginger, shredded nori, steamed edamame, shredded carrots

Instructions

Start the rice. Rinse your rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs mostly clear (this removes excess starch). Add rice and water to your rice cooker and start it. If cooking on the stovetop, bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, then let rest off heat for 10 minutes.

Press and prep the tofu. If your tofu package has excess water, wrap the block in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and press gently for 5-10 minutes (or use a tofu press). Cut into ¾-inch cubes. Place cubes in a bowl and sprinkle cornstarch over them, then toss gently until evenly coated—this creates the crispy exterior when fried.

Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and maple syrup until combined. Set aside. The mirin adds subtle sweetness, while the vinegar provides acidity to balance the salty soy sauce.

Crisp the tofu. Heat oil in a large non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 2 minutes). Add tofu cubes in a single layer with space between each piece—work in batches if needed to avoid crowding. Let them cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Flip each cube and cook another 3-4 minutes. Continue flipping until at least 3 sides are crispy and golden, about 10-12 minutes total. Remove from heat and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Assemble the bowls. Divide hot rice between two bowls. Arrange crispy tofu, cucumber slices, avocado, and greens on top of the rice. Drizzle sauce over everything (you may not need all of it—start with half and add more to taste). Scatter green onions and sesame seeds on top.

For the no-cook version: Skip the frying entirely. Cut the pressed tofu into cubes and toss with the sauce in a bowl. Let it marinate at room temperature while the rice cooks (at least 15 minutes, up to 30). When rice is ready, assemble bowls with the marinated tofu and raw vegetables. The tofu will be soft and silky rather than crispy, but deeply flavored.

Tips that matter

Cornstarch creates the crispiest texture. It forms a lighter, crunchier coating than all-purpose flour. Potato starch works as a substitute and gives similar results.

Don't skip pressing the tofu. Removing excess moisture helps the cornstarch coating adhere and allows the tofu to crisp properly rather than steam in the pan.

Use a non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron pan. Tofu has a tendency to stick, and wrestling with it defeats the low-effort purpose of this meal. Make sure your pan is properly heated before adding the tofu.

Give tofu space in the pan. Crowding causes steaming instead of crisping. If your pan isn't large enough for all the tofu in one layer, cook it in two batches.

Slice vegetables while tofu cooks. The tofu needs 3-4 minutes undisturbed per side. Use that time to prep your cucumber, avocado, and greens.

The sauce ratios are flexible. No mirin? Add an extra ½ teaspoon of sugar to the rice vinegar. No rice vinegar? Regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar works. Can't find sesame oil? Skip it and add a pinch of sesame seeds to the sauce instead. The balance of salty, sweet, and acidic matters more than exact ingredients.

Storage and make-ahead notes

Crispy tofu is best fresh, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It will lose crispness but can be revived—reheat in a skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes per side, or bake at 400°F (200°C) for 5-7 minutes.

The sauce stores well in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week. Make a double batch if you're already mixing ingredients—it works on roasted vegetables, noodles, stir-fries, and grain bowls.

For meal prep, store components separately. Cooked rice keeps refrigerated for 4-5 days. Press and cube tofu the night before, store in the fridge, and coat with cornstarch just before cooking. Slice vegetables the morning you plan to eat them to keep them crisp. Assemble bowls as needed.

Why this one stuck

I've made elaborate vegan dinners that required planning and specialty ingredients and multiple pots. Most of them I made once. This donburi has shown up at least twice a month for years because it meets a specific need: something satisfying that doesn't require me to be at my best. The ingredients are flexible—whatever vegetables you have work. The technique is straightforward. And somehow, despite how simple it is, it tastes like the kind of meal you'd be happy to eat at a restaurant.

That's the thing about finding recipes that actually work in your life. They're not always the ones that impress people. They're the ones that show up when you need them.