Cheesy curry hotpot udon
Japanese curry is pretty well-known by many people in the UK. But, what is less well known, is the Japanese love of putting cheese on top of curry. It's a decadent and rich combination well worth a try, especially when paired with plenty of udon and abura-age, or deep fried tofu.
Extracted from JapanEasy Bowls & Bento by Tim Anderson (Hardie Grant, £25), Photography ©Laura Edwards
Ingredients
- 800ml of boiling water
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms , 6-8g
- 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp chicken stock granules
- 1/2 tsp dashi powder
- 80g of Japanese curry roux, finely chopped
- 2 handfuls of kale leaves , about 80g, destemmed and roughly torn or chopped
- 2 baby leeks , cut into 1cm-thick slices at an angle, or 4 spring onions
- 2 portions of fresh or frozen udon noodles
- 1 medium egg , or two if you're making two individual portions
- 50g of mozzarella cheese , or mild Cheddar, grated
- 20g of deep-fried tofu puffs , abura-age, cut into pieces about 2.5cm wide (optional)
- 100g of firm tofu , cut into 1cm thick slices
Equipment
- 22cm, 1.5l round casserole dish
Method
Combine the water and mushrooms in a medium-sized (about 22 cm diameter, 1.5 litre capacity) hotpot or casserole and leave to soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients
- 800ml of boiling water
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms , 6-8g
When the mushrooms have rehydrated fully, squeeze them dry and discard their stems
Bring the water to a high simmer and add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock powder, dashi powder and curry roux
- 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp chicken stock granules
- 1/2 tsp dashi powder
- 80g of Japanese curry roux, finely chopped
Use a whisk to dissolve the roux, then add the mushrooms, kale and leeks
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms , 6-8g
- 2 handfuls of kale leaves , about 80g, destemmed and roughly torn or chopped
- 2 baby leeks , cut into 1cm-thick slices at an angle, or 4 spring onions
Boil for about 4 minutes until the veg are tender, then add the udon
- 2 portions of fresh or frozen udon noodles
Let the liquid come back to the boil, then crack the egg into the centre of the soup and top with the cheese
- 1 medium egg , or two if you're making two individual portions
- 50g of mozzarella cheese , or mild Cheddar, grated
Place a lid on the pan and cook for another 3–4 minutes so the egg sets and the cheese melts
Top with the tofu and serve immediately – ideally, this should still be bubbling when you tuck in
- 20g of deep-fried tofu puffs , abura-age, cut into pieces about 2.5cm wide (optional)
- 100g of firm tofu , cut into 1cm thick slices
Go to Comments
Cheesy curry hotpot udon
