Description
Thick, unctuous udon noodles are tossed with various wok-fried veggies, then seasoned with soy sauce, rice vinegar and togarashi for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
1 7.3 oz pre-cooked Udon noodle packet (Fortune brand)
2 tbsp. diced ginger
1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup cabbage, cut into long thin strips
1/2 cup peppers, cut into long strips–any color is okay (green/yellow/red/orange)
1/2 cup oyster mushrooms, cut into long strips
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup broccoli, pulled apart into small florets
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts
1 scallion or green onion, diced into small rounds
1/2 tbsp. regular oil
1/2 tbsp. Japanse sesame oil (Maruhon brand)
1 1/2 tbsp. Tamari soy sauce (San-J brand)
1/2 tbsp. Japanese rice vingear (Nakano brand)
1/4–1/2 tsp. shichimi togarashi (mild chili flakes)
Salt to taste (approx. 1 tsp.)
Instructions
Cooking the Noodles:
- Boil water in a kettle. Transfer to a deep-bottomed pan, turn the heat upto med. and drop the udon into the water. The noodles should start separating out in about 2 mins. and should be fully cooked in 4-5 mins.
- Turn off the stove and drain the noodles, reserving the noodle water. Toss in the mung bean sprouts in the still hot water and blanch for 2-3 mins.
Cooking the Veggies:
- As soon as you toss the noodles in the boling water, place a wok on another burner, turn the heat upto high and toss in 1/2 tbsp. oil. After 1 min. toss in all the veggies except the mung bean sprouts and scallions: 2 tbsp. ginger + 1/2 tbsp. garlic + 1/2 cup each of cabbage, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli & peas.
- Stir the veggies around to coat in oil and cook for 1 min. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/4-1/2 tsp. togarashi. Seasoning with salt brings out the water in the veggies. Cooking on high will burn off the water quickly so veggies remain crisp, instead of steaming.
- Keep stirring for approx 4-5 mins. You want the veggies to be cooked but crisp. Also frequent stirring will prevent veggies from browning.
Combine the Noodles with the Veggies:
- Toss warm noodles into the veggies and add 1 1/2 tbsp. Japanese soy sauce + 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil + 1/2 tbsp. rice vinegar. Stir to coat all the veggies and noodles.
- Continue cooking on high for 3-4 mins. until all the sauce is absorbed into the noodles.
- Fish the mung bean sprouts out of the water and sprinkle on warm noodles along with scallions.
- Mix and serve. Super quick, super easy, veggie udon stir-fry is ready!
Notes
- Japanese Tamari soy sauce is sweeter and less pungent than Chinese soy sauce. So if you are using Chinese soy sauce, add 1 tbsp. orange juice to the recipe. This will give the dish the right amount of sweetness and balance the pungency.
- Similarly, Japanese rice vinegar is milder and sweeter. So if using Chinese rice vinegar or a generic brand, use with more caution. Start with 1/4 tbsp., taste and if necessary add another 1/4 tbsp.
- Togarashi is a Japanese seven-spice chili powder. It is fairly mild, heatwise. So if you don’t have it, substitute with a mild chili powder.
- If you don’t have pre-cooked udon noodles, you can use the regular dry ones. Just note that the noodles will not be as thick.
- I use oyster mushrooms in this recipe because their texture and smell is more kid-friendly. They are not chewy and have a more neutral smell, so my child doesn’t object to it as much. It feels less like a “veggie” to him.
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup
- Calories: 175
- Sugar: 1.6
- Sodium: 1082
- Fat: 4.2
- Saturated Fat: 0.6
- Carbohydrates: 28.7
- Fiber: 4.3
- Protein: 7.3
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: Udon, Yaki Udon, Udon Stir-Fry, Japanese noodles, Somen, Soba, Vegan Udon, Quick Udon, Vegetarian Udon, Vegetable Udon, Quick Noodles, Vegan Noodles, Vegetarian Noodles, Noodle Corner, Japanese Noodle, Japanese Cuisine