When the summer time climate will get scorching and also you don’t have a lot of an urge for food, do that scrumptious Chilly Udon Noodles (Zaru Udon) recipe. Traditional fare throughout the scorching and humid summers in Japan, these chilled noodles are so refreshing and easy to organize, particularly while you don’t really feel like cooking! I’ll present you easy methods to make the savory dipping sauce two methods—both from scratch or with store-bought noodle soup base.
When you love udon, attempt my Beef Udon, Yaki Udon (Stir-Fried Udon Noodles), and Kitsune Udon recipes subsequent!
What’s Chilly Udon Noodles (Zaru Udon)?
Chilly udon noodles (zaru udon, ざるうどん) is a dish that we serve in Japan throughout the summer time months when the climate is scorching and humid. The chilled noodles style refreshing when served with savory mentsuyu dipping sauce and toppings like inexperienced onions, ginger, and wasabi. This dish is the chilly model of Kake Udon that’s served scorching with dashi broth and sliced inexperienced onions on prime.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Good summertime lunch that’s cool and refreshing.
- Gentle and savory flavors to stimulate your urge for food on a scorching day.
- Simple to make while you’re not within the temper to prepare dinner.
Substances for Chilly Udon Noodles (Zaru Udon)
- udon noodles – frozen
- Selfmade dipping sauce (tsuyu):
- Condiments:
- inexperienced onion/scallion
- ginger
- wasabi (non-obligatory)
- (Elective) Fast dipping sauce:
Discover the printable recipe with measurements under.
How you can Make Chilly Udon Noodles (Zaru Udon)
Dipping Sauce
- Make the dipping sauce. Simmer dashi inventory, sugar, and mirin in a small saucepan over medium warmth. Then add soy sauce. Cool fully.
Noodles
- Warmth the udon noodles. Place the frozen noodles in a big pot of boiling water till heated via. When you’re utilizing dried udon noodles, prepare dinner in response to the package deal directions.
- Rinse and funky. Drain the noodles in a sieve and rinse underneath chilly water. Then, add the noodles to an ice tub for 30–60 seconds, then drain. When you chill too lengthy, the noodles grow to be too agency.
Condiments
- Put together the condiments. Thinly slice the inexperienced onion and grate the ginger. Put them on particular person small plates.
Assemble
- Drain and divide the chilled noodles and ice cubes onto particular person plates. Pour the sauce into particular person cups. Serve with condiments on the aspect. Add inexperienced onion, ginger, and non-obligatory wasabi to the sauce, dip the noodles, and luxuriate in.
Nami’s Recipe Ideas
- Make the tsuyu from scratch – I like to recommend making home made dipping sauce for the perfect taste, however you should utilize store-bought mentsuyu to avoid wasting time.
- Cool the sauce – After simmering it on the range, ensure to chill down your dipping sauce fully earlier than serving. I relaxation the pitcher of dipping sauce in a bowl of ice to relax it.
- Use frozen udon – I like to recommend my favourite frozen Sanuki udon from the Japanese market. Alternatively, Hime Dried Udon is a good dried substitute from Amazon. In case you have the time, Selfmade Udon Noodles are scrumptious!
- Rinse the noodles – Run the new noodles underneath chilly faucet water whereas tossing them along with your fingers such as you’re washing garments. This cools them down and removes any extra starch.
- Chill briefly – Add the rinsed and cooled noodles to an ice tub with loads of ice cubes for 30–60 seconds, then drain. When you chill too lengthy, the noodles grow to be too agency.
- Serve with ice cubes – Add a number of the ice cubes to the udon plates to maintain the noodles chilly and tremendous refreshing.
Variations and Customizations
Get artistic along with your toppings. Additionally, the Japanese get pleasure from different cool udon dishes throughout the summertime. Listed here are some standard variations which you can attempt.
- Additional toppings like shredded nori, tenkasu (tempura scraps), julienned shiso, and toasted sesame seeds
- Chilly Tanuki Udon with tempura scraps, tomatoes, cucumbers, wakame seaweed, and boiled egg
- Chilly Natto Udon with fermented soybeans has the pleasant texture of Japanese neba neba (ネバネバ, slimy) meals
- Chilly Curry Udon in chilled curry soup with sliced pork and summertime greens
What to Serve with Chilly Udon Noodles (Zaru Udon)
Storage Ideas
To retailer: Retailer leftover dipping sauce in a clear, hermetic container within the fridge for as much as a month. I like to recommend cooking the udon noodles simply earlier than serving.
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For the Selfmade Dipping Sauce (Tsuyu)
(Elective) For the Fast Dipping Sauce
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Collect all of the substances. Right here, I present what you may must make home made tsuyu (noodle dipping sauce). To organize a fast dipping sauce as an alternative utilizing bottled mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base), see my non-obligatory recipe on the finish.
To Make the Selfmade Dipping Sauce (Tsuyu)
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Add ⅔ cup dashi (Japanese soup inventory), 2 Tbsp mirin, and 1 tsp sugar to a small saucepan. Carry it to a simmer over medium warmth and stir to dissolve.
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Subsequent, add 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Carry it again to a simmer, then flip off the warmth. Switch to a heat-resistant container or serving pitcher and set in a bowl of ice to let cool (you may make it forward and maintain within the fridge).
To Put together the Noodles
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Carry a big pot of water to a boil. Add 2 servings udon noodles (frozen; no must defrost) and boil for 1 minute to warmth via. Nami’s Tip: I exploit my favourite frozen Sanuki udon from the Japanese market. Alternatively, Hime Dried Udon is a good possibility from Amazon; prepare dinner in response to package deal instructions.
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Drain in a sieve. Totally rinse off the udon’s starch underneath operating water till they’re not slippery. As soon as cool, place the noodles in an ice tub to relax for 30–60 seconds (if you happen to chill too lengthy, the noodles grow to be too agency).
To Put together the Condiments
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Minimize 1 inexperienced onion/scallion into skinny slices. Peel and grate ½ inch ginger; I exploit a ceramic grater. Put sliced inexperienced onion, grated ginger, and non-obligatory wasabi on particular person small plates.
(Elective) To Make the Fast Dipping Sauce (4 servings)
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Add ½ cup mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base), 1 piece kombu (dried kelp), and ½ cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) to a measuring cup or container. Let it steep for at the least 10 minutes or in a single day within the fridge. Drain the mentsuyu via a sieve (discard or repurpose the kombu and katsuobushi). To make use of: Dilute with 1½ cups water, then serve into particular person dipping cups.
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Nami’s Tip: The mentsuyu model I exploit is concentrated 3 instances for chilly noodle dipping sauce (males no tsuketsuyu). The dilution ratio is one half mentsuyu to a few components water (1 : 3). Observe your bottle’s dilution directions, as every model is totally different. In case you have “straight” mentsuyu, use it as is with out diluting.
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