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
Tim Anderson says: “Nabeyaki udon is udon cooked and served in a small hotpot (a nabe), with a wide variety of toppings and regional variations. Because the noodles, broth and toppings are all cooked together in the same vessel, it’s one of the easiest Japanese noodle dishes to prepare, as well as one of the most warming and satisfying. Even more so if you combine it with cheesy curry, because cheesy curry makes everything better.
Note
This recipe gives instructions to cook two servings together in one pot, but it’s much better if you can make each portion in its own smaller pot (and this way everybody gets their own egg!). So, if you happen to have two smaller nabe or casserole (about 20cm in diameter, 700ml capacity each), then divide the ingredients between them and cook them separately."
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 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
Get in touch
Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.
You may also like
SITES
