This simple yaki udon recipe will provide you with dense and chewy noodles that are wrapped in crunchy al dente veggies and tender pork belly strips, and then glazed with the sweet and delicious soup base. If you like lo mein, then you’re bound to want to taste the most loved dishes, yaki udon.
A brief background…
If you’ve never tried Udon noodles, I’d suggest that they are the closest with Vietnamese banh canh in that they’re very chewy and thick. While banh canh is composed from tapioca starch and rice flour and rice flour, udon noodles are composed from wheat flour, salt water, salt, and occasionally tapioca starch. The thick and chewy texture is a great option for a stir-fried dish like yaki Udon.
It first appeared within the Fukuoka Prefecture of Japan during World War II, yaki Udon was invented because of the scarcity of ramen noodles for the well-known Japanese yakisoba. Yaki udon is therefore the same preparation method as the yakisoba however it is made with Udon noodles.
Yaki udon is packed with many different textures Crisp bok choy stalks as well as al dente carrots tender and juicy mushrooms and juicy pork belly, as well as tender and chewy noodles made of udon. Today there are the yaki udon at many Japanese eateries (I enjoy Honda Ya and Taiko near by). But, it’s really simple to prepare at your home.
Udon noodles
Udon noodles comprise the bulk of this dish. As a child (and adult) I’ve purchased pre-made frozen and refrigerated Udon noodles from the supermarket at the nearby Japanese market. The directions are simple to follow and you’ll be able to take udon whenever you want. Many people prefer using these noodles made for yaki udon as it’s quick and convenient.
However, if you’d like to make it a bit more difficult then you can follow my recipe to create your own Udon noodles right from scratch. With fresh, hand-made noodles, it is possible to alter the texture and chewiness through the addition of tapioca starch into the dough, and you can also alter the thickness of the Udon noodles by adjusting the thickness. It is possible to create more than two portions of udon noodles and then freeze the remainder to be used in a later dinner.
In the recipe I just required 2 portions of udon to create an entire yaki udon meal for six people since you’ll end up adding numerous other components. So, Udon noodles only make up part of the dish.
To cook the authentic Udon noodles, fill up the pot with 8 cups of water. Bring to the point of boiling. Add about 2 teaspoons of salt, and stir until the salt dissolves. Take care to lower one portion of Udon noodles by swirling them to keep them from sticking. Then cook for 12 to 15 minutes.
The noodles that are cooked will be tender and evenly cooked throughout the noodles, but still hard in its texture. The noodles should be immediately placed in an ice-bath for about a moment to end the cooking process. Transfer them to a bowl that is clean until in a position to cook them.
The secret sauce
Yaki Udon comes with an soy sauce base that’s glazed over noodles along with vegetables, meat, and vegetables. There are a variety of variations in this sauce, just as the different ingredients, however it’s soy sauce that is the primary ingredient. I’ve seen people making use of Worcestershire sauce, kombu sauce, and many more.
This recipe I’ve used a mixture of mirin, soy sauce oyster sauce, mirin, and dark brown sugar to create an excellent delicious and sweet flavor which provides an appealing harmony to the various ingredients. What’s wonderful with this dish is the fact that it allows you to alter the flavor of this sauce according to your preferences. Some variations could include rice vinegar or sesame oil to provide the sauce with a unique variation.
Add-ins
What is it that makes yaki Udon such a wonderful dish is the fact that it’s adaptable and also in that you can use different kinds of vegetables to make add-ins. this is a great recipe to clear your kitchen of all the bits of vegetables or meat that you want to get rid of. If you’re looking for an Filipino variation of the yaki Udon it’s very like Pancit canton also.
In this recipe I had additional vegetables like bok choy and carrots and garlic, green onions, and button mushrooms available. In the traditional way, you’ll see different varieties of onions, cabbage, shiitake mushroom, broccoli, and various other vegetables in the yaki udon recipes.
Remember that certain vegetables cook differently. For instance the carrots are cut super thin, while the mushrooms cut in more thick slices to get evenly cooked in the skillet. For example I cut the carrots in extremely thin slices as they take a bit longer to cook. Also, the mushrooms I slice a bit larger than normal. I also cut the bok choy leaves, and cut them into half for ease of cooking and eating. There is no one who would like to take a large bite from one piece of a piece of bok choy.
Because it is an “drunk food” dish, meat is also an important ingredient. It is a common practice in Japan there are many restaurants that add thinly cut pieces of pork belly however you can also add any other seafood or meat you’ve got in your kitchen for example, ground chicken or ground meat. I am a huge fan of pork belly and cut it into strips and then pan fritted them for an extra crispy texture.
Look below for the recipe on the complete steps for making Yuki Udon using pork belly!
What is the difference between Udon as well as Yaki Udon?
Udon is an Japanese noodles made of wheat. It’s the name of a stir-fried dish made of noodles made of udon as well as various meats and vegetables cooked in a base of soy sauce.
Is Yaki Udon healthy?
The fillings and sauces you make to prepare yaki Udon is healthy. I often make use of carrots, bok choy as well as mushrooms that provide advantages for health, such as vitamin E and A as well as antioxidants.
Is Yaki Udon like lo mein?
Yaki Udon noodles are made from the flour of wheat, salt as well as salt, and (sometimes tappingioca starch) and lo mein is made of egg noodles. Both are stirred together using a base of soy sauce.
Is Yaki Udon vegan?
In general, yaki udon will contain meat, however you can substitute it with tofu to make an alternative that is vegan. Follow the directions on the package in order to cook it according to the instructions.
See more: Other noodle dishes
Yaki Udon Recipe (One-Pan Stir Fried Udon Noodles)
Ingredients
UDON NOODLES
- 300g udon noodles (or two servings) my handmade udon recipe makes this amount
- 8 c water
- 2 tsp salt
ICE WATER BATH
- 1-2 c ice
- water
FILLINGS
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ lb pork belly or meat of your choice
- 1 medium carrot julienned
- 6 white mushrooms sliced
- ¾ lb Shanghai bok choy (about 3 heads) peeled, seperated & cut in half lengthwise
- 1 green onions sliced
SAUCE
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp dark brown sugar
Instructions
UDON NOODLES
- If you purchased fresh or frozen udon at a shop Follow the cooking directions on the bag for making your noodles of udon.
- It is also possible to follow my recipe for making udon noodles made from scratch. To make noodles at home, simply fill a large pot with at least 8 cups of water. Bring to an even boil. Add salt and stir until it disintegrates. Place one serving of udon noodles to the pot and swirl it around to prevent sticking. The noodles should cook for between 12 and 15 minutes, or till they are cooked evenly all over but still soft.
- Take the noodles out of the oven and immediately plunge them into an ice-cold water bath for one minute to end your cooking. Remove the noodles from the water and put them into a bowl till ready to cook the noodles. Repeat this process for your next set of noodles.
YAKI UDON
- Prepare all the ingredients by washing and cutting the vegetables mince garlic, cut bacon into half inch by 2 inches pieces Julienne the carrots, cut the mushrooms into slices that are 1/8 inches thick Separate the bok choy leaves/stems and cut them in half and then cut the green onions with thin bias cuts.
- On a saute pan large enough to hold set over medium-high heat, add vegetable oil as well as the minced garlic. Cook for around 30 seconds or so until it becomes fragrant, but not before it begins to turn brown.
- Then add the bacon strips to the pan and cook for approximately 3 minutes or until it gets crispy and begins to brown. Stir often. Once the pork belly has cooked, drain the any excess oil by using the help of a spoon.
- Add the chopped carrots, mushrooms and bok choy into the large pan , and stir.
- A small dish mix oyster sauce, soy sauce, mirin as well as the dark brown sugar. Sprinkle this sauce over the large skillet and stir until the meat and vegetables are completely covered with the sauce. Turn the heat down to medium and cover it with lid and cook for 2 or three minutes. Take off the lid and look for signs that the vegetables have been softened.
- Mix in the cooked noodles, and cook for a further minute, so that the noodles get warm. Add the chopped green onions on top of the yaki udon.
- Serve immediately.
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