Japanese•comfort

Curry Udon

Curry Udon is a hearty and flavorful noodle dish that combines the best of rich Japanese curry with thick, chewy udon noodles.

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

~400 g frozen udon noodles (2 blocks) 1
1 tbsp oil
1/2 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
200 g thinly-sliced beef (rib eye, chuck, flank, sirloin, or skirt are good cuts) 2
2 cups dashi (you can use homemade or the instant Hondashi powder) 3
2 Japanese curry blocks (~60 g) 4
1 tbsp honey, to taste
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 5
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp ketchup
Optional: 1/4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder 6
100 g enoki mushrooms, separated into bunches
3 heads bok choy, halved
1 green onion, chopped

1
In a pot over medium heat, sauté your onions in 1 tbsp of oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and sauté until golden and fragrant.
2
Add in the beef and cook until no longer pink.
3
Pour in the dashi. Add in the Japanese curry blocks, honey, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, and cocoa powder (if using). Bring this to a boil, then let simmer covered for at least 10 minutes.In the meantime, prepare your udon noodles and vegetable toppings.
4
To prepare the udon, boil enough water to completely submerge your udon blocks. Pour the boiling water over your udon blocks until they soften and loosen completely. Once soft, strain, and quickly rinse the noodles under cold water to retain their chew and to stop them from cooking. Set aside.
5
Heat a separate, oiled pan over medium-high heat. Char your bok choy until they've developed a dark brown sear on both sides and the bok choy has softened. Do the same with the enoki mushrooms, searing on both sides. Set aside.
6
Return to your curry. Taste and adjust with more soy sauce and/or honey if needed. You may continue reducing the curry to make your sauce thicker, if preferred.
7
To plate, evenly divide the udon between two bowls. Pour the curry over the udon, and top with the charred bok choy, charred enoki mushrooms, and green onions. Serve warm.