← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 750 ml Water
• 10 g kombu (a 10 cm square)
• 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Mirin
• ½ tsp Salt
• 2 sheets Aburaage (thin fried tofu sheets)
• 150 ml Water
• 1½ tbsp Soy sauce
• 1½ tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Mirin
• 400 g udon noodles (2 portions)
• 1 Spring onion, finely sliced
• 1 pinch Shichimi togarashi (seven-spice) (optional)

Method

1. Soak the kombu and dried shiitake in the 750 ml water for at least 30 min. Heat slowly over medium-low heat and lift out the kombu just before it boils, then simmer the shiitake for 5 min and remove.
2. Pour boiling water over the fried tofu sheets to rinse off excess oil, squeeze gently and cut each one diagonally into two triangles.
3. Put the tofu in a small pan with the 150 ml water, soy, sugar and mirin. Cover with a small lid or a circle of foil resting on the tofu and simmer over low heat for 10 min, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
4. Season the broth with the light soy, mirin and salt and keep it hot.
5. Cook the udon following the packet and drain. Divide between bowls, pour over the hot broth and top with the sweet tofu, spring onion and shichimi.

Tips

• Ready-seasoned inari age pouches from Asian shops let you skip step 3.
• Contains wheat and soy. For the classic version use bonito dashi instead of the kombu and shiitake broth.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook Japanese Cooking 101 Chopstick Chronicles