Japanese Noodle Dishes
Cooking Skills: Noodles 2
Chapter 3 · Japanese Noodle Dishes
Skill goal
Cook udon, yakisoba and cold ramen, matching the noodle to the dish and seasoning the broth or sauce carefully.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Japanese noodle dishes match the noodle to the dish: thin and springy ramen for rich broth, medium yakisoba for the wok and thick, soft udon for a mild, clear broth. This chapter is about making each of them well, with the broth and the sauce as the star.
The noodles
| Noodle | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Udon | Thick, soft, chewy wheat noodles (fresh, frozen or dried) | Mild broths, curry udon, stir-fried udon |
| Ramen | Thin, springy wheat noodles, often with alkaline salt | Rich broths and cold ramen salad |
| Yakisoba | Medium wheat noodles, usually sold fresh in packs | Stir-fries with a sweet-sour sauce |
| Soba | Buckwheat noodles | Cold with a dipping sauce (Noodles 1, chapter 4) |
The broth
- Dashi is the base of Japanese cooking: a light, savoury stock from kombu seaweed and bonito (fish) flakes. Instant dashi granules are quick; kombu alone makes a vegetarian version.
- Season with soy sauce and a little sugar, and a splash of rice vinegar where mirin would go.
- Serve piping hot, with the noodles cooked in a separate pan.
Fresh, frozen or dried udon
- Frozen udon is soft and bouncy, ready in 1 to 3 minutes: the best everyday choice.
- Vacuum-packed udon only needs to be loosened in hot water.
- Dried udon keeps for months and takes 8 to 12 minutes. A little firmer.
Dashi, hot broth and allergens
Dashi: instant dashi granules and bonito flakes contain fish. For a vegetarian or fish-free broth, soak a 10 cm piece of kombu (dried seaweed) in 600 ml of cold water for 30 minutes, then heat it gently and remove it just before it boils (a rolling boil makes it bitter and slimy).Hot soup: a ladle of boiling broth causes a serious scald. Keep pan handles turned in, ladle into bowls on a stable surface away from the edge, carry bowls with both hands and let children's bowls cool first. Noodles hold heat, so blow on them before eating.
Allergens: Worcestershire sauce contains anchovy (fish) and often barley malt vinegar (gluten); Japanese curry roux usually contains wheat and sometimes milk; soy sauce contains soy and wheat; udon and ramen contain wheat; mayonnaise contains egg. Check labels, and use soy sauce or a vegetarian roux for a fish-free or vegetarian dish.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Kake udon
Kake udon is the plainest udon: thick noodles in a gentle, savoury broth, with spring onion. It is all about the broth, so taste it carefully.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 600 ml dashi (made with kombu, or instant dashi granules)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp rice vinegar (in place of mirin)
- 2 portions of udon (fresh or frozen, about 200 g each; or 150 g dried)
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 nori sheet, torn (optional)
- 1 Lion-marked egg, soft-boiled, halved (optional)
- Heat the dashi in a pan with the soy sauce, sugar and vinegar until steaming. Taste: it should be savoury with a hint of sweetness. Add a little more soy sauce if it is bland.
- Cook the udon in a separate pan of boiling water: fresh or frozen usually 1 to 3 minutes, dried 8 to 12 minutes, or as the pack says. Drain.
- Divide the noodles between two bowls and ladle over the very hot broth. Top with the spring onions, nori and egg.
Hot broth and allergens
Hot soup: a ladle of boiling broth causes a serious scald. Keep pan handles turned in, ladle into bowls on a stable surface away from the edge, carry bowls with both hands and let children's bowls cool first. Noodles hold heat, so blow on them before eating.Dashi: instant dashi granules and bonito flakes contain fish. For a vegetarian or fish-free broth, soak a 10 cm piece of kombu (dried seaweed) in 600 ml of cold water for 30 minutes, then heat it gently and remove it just before it boils (a rolling boil makes it bitter and slimy).
Allergens: Worcestershire sauce contains anchovy (fish) and often barley malt vinegar (gluten); Japanese curry roux usually contains wheat and sometimes milk; soy sauce contains soy and wheat; udon and ramen contain wheat; mayonnaise contains egg. Check labels, and use soy sauce or a vegetarian roux for a fish-free or vegetarian dish.
Eggs: use eggs with the British Lion mark and wash your hands after handling raw egg. Cook eggs until solid if you are unsure about runny eggs for you or your guests: the Food Standards Agency's advice on runny eggs differs for some groups, so check the current guidance at food.gov.uk.
Level 2 · Curry
Curry udon
A thick, mild, savoury curry broth with udon: a comfort dish in Japan. The roux block does the thickening and seasoning. Cook the chicken properly before adding the roux.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 600 ml dashi or chicken stock
- 40 g Japanese curry roux (about 2 cubes; check the label)
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 150 g chicken thigh, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 portions of udon (about 200 g each)
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 1 tsp soy sauce, to taste
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until browned and cooked through with no pink.
- Add the dashi or stock and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down, break in the roux and stir until it dissolves, then simmer gently for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Meanwhile, cook the udon, and drain.
- Taste the broth and add soy sauce if needed. Put the udon in bowls, ladle over the hot curry broth and top with spring onions.
Raw chicken, hot curry and allergens
Raw pork and chicken: wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw meat, and cook it until steaming hot with no pink and clear juices (70°C for 2 minutes). Slice meat thinly so it cooks fast.Hot soup: a ladle of boiling broth causes a serious scald. Keep pan handles turned in, ladle into bowls on a stable surface away from the edge, carry bowls with both hands and let children's bowls cool first. Noodles hold heat, so blow on them before eating.
Allergens: Worcestershire sauce contains anchovy (fish) and often barley malt vinegar (gluten); Japanese curry roux usually contains wheat and sometimes milk; soy sauce contains soy and wheat; udon and ramen contain wheat; mayonnaise contains egg. Check labels, and use soy sauce or a vegetarian roux for a fish-free or vegetarian dish.
Level 2 · Stir-fry
Yakisoba
Yakisoba are fried noodles with cabbage and pork in a tangy, sweet sauce. Mix the sauce first. See Cooking Skills: Noodles 1, chapter 2 for the stir-fry order of work.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 300 g fresh yakisoba or ramen noodles (or 200 g dried egg noodles)
- 150 g thinly sliced pork or chicken (or 150 g mushrooms and tofu)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 200 g white cabbage, shredded
- 1 carrot, in matchsticks
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 nori sheet and a little mayonnaise, to serve (optional)
- Mix the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, soy sauce and sugar in a bowl. Loosen the noodles with a splash of hot water or a short boil, and drain.
- Heat half the oil in a large pan over a high heat. Fry the pork for 3 to 4 minutes until browned and cooked through with no pink. Take out.
- Add the remaining oil and stir-fry the onion, carrot and cabbage for 3 minutes until just tender. Add the noodles and pork and toss for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the sauce and toss for 1 minute until glossy and hot. Serve topped with nori and a little mayonnaise.
Hot pan, raw meat and allergens
Hot oil: never leave a pan of hot oil unattended. If oil starts to smoke, take the pan off the heat and let it cool. Never put water on a pan fire: turn off the heat and cover it with a lid or damp cloth, then get out of the room and call 999 if it spreads. Dry vegetables and noodles well, because water on hot oil spits.Raw pork and chicken: wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw meat, and cook it until steaming hot with no pink and clear juices (70°C for 2 minutes). Slice meat thinly so it cooks fast.
Allergens: Worcestershire sauce contains anchovy (fish) and often barley malt vinegar (gluten); Japanese curry roux usually contains wheat and sometimes milk; soy sauce contains soy and wheat; udon and ramen contain wheat; mayonnaise contains egg. Check labels, and use soy sauce or a vegetarian roux for a fish-free or vegetarian dish.
Level 3 · Cold
Cold ramen salad (hiyashi chuka)
A summer favourite in Japan: chilled ramen noodles on a plate with colourful toppings and a tangy soy-vinegar dressing. The arrangement is part of the dish. See Cooking Skills: Noodles 1, chapter 4 for the cold-noodle method.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 200 g ramen noodles
- 2 Lion-marked eggs, beaten, for the omelette strips
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- ½ cucumber, in matchsticks
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 100 g cooked ham or cooked chicken, in strips
- 1 tbsp pickled ginger (optional)
- 4 tbsp soy sauce, for the dressing
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar, for the dressing
- 2 tbsp sugar, for the dressing
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, for the dressing
- 4 tbsp water, for the dressing
- Stir the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and water together until the sugar dissolves. Chill.
- Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and pour in a thin layer of egg, cooking each omelette for about 1 minute until fully set. Roll, cool and slice into thin strips.
- Cook the ramen for a minute under the pack time, rinse under cold water until cold and drain very well.
- Divide the noodles between two plates and arrange the egg, cucumber, tomato, ham and ginger in sections on top. Pour over the dressing just before eating.
Cold dishes, eggs and allergens
Cooked noodles and cold dishes: cooked starchy foods left at room temperature can grow bacteria (rice is the best-known case, and cooked noodles are treated the same way). Cool noodles quickly under cold water, put them in the fridge within about 1 hour, keep them covered, eat within 1 day, and don't leave a cold noodle dish out for more than about 2 hours. This is general food-safety guidance in line with the Rice courses; I haven't found a rule written specially for noodles.Eggs: use eggs with the British Lion mark and wash your hands after handling raw egg. Cook eggs until solid if you are unsure about runny eggs for you or your guests: the Food Standards Agency's advice on runny eggs differs for some groups, so check the current guidance at food.gov.uk.
Allergens: Worcestershire sauce contains anchovy (fish) and often barley malt vinegar (gluten); Japanese curry roux usually contains wheat and sometimes milk; soy sauce contains soy and wheat; udon and ramen contain wheat; mayonnaise contains egg. Check labels, and use soy sauce or a vegetarian roux for a fish-free or vegetarian dish.
Experiments
Experiment
Broth strength
Weak or strong.
- Make kake broth with 2 tbsp, 3 tbsp and 4 tbsp of soy sauce in 600 ml of dashi. Taste each with a noodle.
Look for: The weakest broth tastes watery; the strongest tastes harsh and salty. Note the middle point. The noodles dilute the broth, so season it slightly stronger than you think.
Experiment
Fresh, vacuum-packed or dried
Udon types.
- Cook frozen, vacuum-packed and dried udon in the same broth. Compare.
Look for: Frozen udon is soft and bouncy, vacuum-packed udon is similar but slightly softer, and dried udon is firmer and chewier. Pick your favourite.
Experiment
Yakisoba sauce balance
Sweet or sharp.
- Make two small portions of yakisoba sauce, one with extra sugar and one with extra Worcestershire sauce. Toss with noodles.
Look for: More sugar makes a sweet, sticky dish. More Worcestershire sauce makes a tangy, savoury one. The right balance is a matter of taste.
Experiment
Cold salad dressing
With and without sugar.
- Make the hiyashi chuka dressing with and without the sugar. Taste on a noodle.
Look for: Without sugar, the dressing is sharp and thin. The sugar rounds it out and makes it coat the noodles. Cold food needs more seasoning than hot.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kake udon | ||||
| Curry udon | ||||
| Yakisoba | ||||
| Cold ramen salad | ||||
| Broth strength | ||||
| Udon types | ||||
| Yakisoba sauce | ||||
| Cold dressing |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Bland broth | Not enough soy sauce or dashi | Add soy sauce a teaspoon at a time; taste with noodles |
| Too salty | Strong dashi powder and soy sauce | Dilute with water; use less soy sauce |
| Mushy udon | Overcooked | Cook for the minimum time on the pack |
| Yakisoba soggy | Cabbage or noodles wet, or pan crowded | Dry the vegetables; use a hot pan; cook in batches |
| Curry broth lumpy | Roux added to boiling liquid | Turn the heat down; break the roux in and stir |
| Cold ramen clumped | Not rinsed or drained | Rinse in cold water; drain; toss with a drop of oil |
Hot dishes, raw meat, eggs and allergens
Hot soup: a ladle of boiling broth causes a serious scald. Keep pan handles turned in, ladle into bowls on a stable surface away from the edge, carry bowls with both hands and let children's bowls cool first. Noodles hold heat, so blow on them before eating.Raw pork and chicken: wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw meat, and cook it until steaming hot with no pink and clear juices (70°C for 2 minutes). Slice meat thinly so it cooks fast.
Eggs: use eggs with the British Lion mark and wash your hands after handling raw egg. Cook eggs until solid if you are unsure about runny eggs for you or your guests: the Food Standards Agency's advice on runny eggs differs for some groups, so check the current guidance at food.gov.uk.
Cooked noodles and cold dishes: cooked starchy foods left at room temperature can grow bacteria (rice is the best-known case, and cooked noodles are treated the same way). Cool noodles quickly under cold water, put them in the fridge within about 1 hour, keep them covered, eat within 1 day, and don't leave a cold noodle dish out for more than about 2 hours. This is general food-safety guidance in line with the Rice courses; I haven't found a rule written specially for noodles.
Allergens: Worcestershire sauce contains anchovy (fish) and often barley malt vinegar (gluten); Japanese curry roux usually contains wheat and sometimes milk; soy sauce contains soy and wheat; udon and ramen contain wheat; mayonnaise contains egg. Check labels, and use soy sauce or a vegetarian roux for a fish-free or vegetarian dish.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can make a simple dashi-based broth and season it.
- I can cook udon and match it to a dish.
- I can stir-fry yakisoba with a balanced sauce.
- I can build a cold ramen plate.
- I check labels for fish, wheat and soy.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Noodles 2, chapter 4 is Korean Noodles: sweet, spicy and savoury sauces and glass noodles.