Tastebud Explosion: Our Garlic Shrimp Udon Noodle Experience!
This easy but delicious Japanese noodle recipe is full of flavor!
Things to know:
What are the ingredients in yaki udon?
Yaki udon ingredients include thick udon noodles, a protein like pork or shrimp, and vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, and onions, all stir-fried with a savory sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, and oyster sauce. Garnishes like green onions, bonito flakes, and seaweed are also common.
What does yaki udon taste like?
Yaki udon, literally translated, is fried udon. Thick and chewy udon noodles are fried with pork, cabbage, onions, and carrots, in a slightly sweet, super savory soy and mirin based sauce. It’s usually topped off with seaweed and bonito flakes that gently dance in the heat of the noodles.
What is the history of yaki udon?
The widely accepted story of how the dish was created dates back to just after World War II, when food was scarce in Japan. The owner of the noodle restaurant Darumado used udon noodles in popular yakisoba preparations, because the proper noodles were not available.
What is the difference between udon and yaki udon?
Udon is a type of thick, chewy Japanese wheat flour noodle, while Yaki Udon is a stir-fried dish made with udon noodles cooked with other ingredients like meat and vegetables and coated in a savory sauce. The key difference is that “udon” refers to the noodle itself, while “yaki udon” is a specific preparation method where the noodles are stir-fried.
Is yaki udon similar to lo mein?
Yaki udon is a popular Japanese stir fry made of udon noodles that have been tossed in mirin and soy sauce. It’s very similar to yakisoba or lo mein in terms of flavor but the noodles used – udon noodles instead of egg noodles – are what makes the dish so different.
Ingredients:
3 x 200g packets of pre-cooked udon noodles
1.5 t sesame oil
3 T vegetable oil
2 heaped cups of sliced cabbage
1/2 cup carrots, cut to matchstick strips
2 shiitake mushrooms, finely sliced
1 onion, julienned
1 t sugar, plus 1 t extra
1 T soy sauce, plus 2 T extra
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300g peeled & deveined prawns
1 t chili flakes
4 T oyster sauce
1/2 cup finely sliced spring onions
1. Prepare the udon noodles: For the noodles, make sure the water is already boiling before you put the udon in the water. Cook it in the boiling water for about 1 minute only, it will naturally loosen after a while. Don’t boil it for too long because it will still cook some more when you stir-fry with the toppings later.
2. In a skillet of Wok on medium high heat, add the oil, cabbage, carrots, onions and mushrooms. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the veggies begin to wilt.
3. Add 1 T of soy sauce and 1 t sugar and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
5. Add the chile flakes and shrimp and cook until the shrimp are done.
6. Add the noodles and 2 T of soy sauce.
7. Add the oyster sauce and 1 t of sugar and mix to combine.
8. Add 1/2 the green onions, stir to mix then serve hot. Garnish with the remainder of the green onions. ENJOY!
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