Beef Curry Udon 2 | The Missing Lokness

A month ago, Bryan was feeling under the weather. Runny nose, headache, weakness… Before he headed to work, we had a small chat.

“Let me make something light and warm for dinner tonight. Udon sounds good?” I asked. I am thinking something like a clear broth with a few pieces of meat and tons of vegetables.

“Yea… Udon is good.” Bryan replied and tilted his head down. With his unusual whispering voice, he added, “curry udon…”.

I replied, “What?!?! CURRY UDON? But you are sick…”

“Curry udon…” He insisted with his soft voice.

“Ok, curry udon it is… As long as you have appetite, anything is fine! By the way, I like curry udon too!” I gave in and I was actually happy with the dinner choice.

That night, I made curry udon and we were both really satisfied.

Curry udon is my favorite way to enjoy udon. A rich and slightly sweet broth with tons of spices perfectly flavored the bouncy and chewy udon. Clear broth just can’t come close in flavors. When I was in college, there was a Japanese food place across from campus. Curry udon with chicken was the only thing I would get. So flavorful!

Later I learned from Just One Cookbook that curry udon is very easy to make. Since then, I would make it every once a while. As winter is approaching, a bowl of rich and hot noodles can keep you warm and give you comfort. Enjoy!

Beef Curry Udon 1| The Missing Lokness

 

Beef Curry Udon (Adapted from Just One Cookbook)

2 servings

Ingredients:

–   4 cups water

–   2 teaspoons instant dashi powder

–   1 tablespoon vegetable oil

–   ½ large onion (sliced)

–   ½ pound thinly sliced beef

–   1 tablespoon sake

–   3 pieces Japanese curry roux

–   ½ tablespoon soy sauce

–   1 tablespoon honey (optional)

–   2 udon packages (best to use Sanuki udon)

–   2 green onions (finely chopped)

Directions:

  1. To make dashi stock, in a small pot, add the water. Bring to a boil over high heat. When it is boiling, stir in the dashi powder. Reduce to low heat to keep warm.
  2. In a medium pot over medium high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 7 – 10 minutes. Turn the heat up to high. Stir in the beef slices and cook until just cooked through. Remove the beef to a small bowl and set aside. Add 3 cups of the dashi stock and sake to the pot. Bring to a boil. If desired, remove some of the fat that float to the top with a spoon while boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 – 7 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Follow the udon package direction to cook the udon. Drain and divide the udon into 2 large serving bowls.
  4. Back to the broth. Turn off the heat. Add the curry roux pieces. Stir until the roux has dissolved completely. Turn the heat back on to medium-high and boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the soy sauce and taste. If needed, add honey. Stir and mix. If the curry broth is too thick, add some of the remaining dashi stock.
  5. Place the beef slices on top of the udon. Scoop the curry broth over. Top with green onions. Serve immediately.

Tips:

  1. Dashi powder, thinly sliced beef, curry roux and Sanuki udon can be easily found in Japanese supermarket, like Mitsuwa and Amazon.
  2. My favorite curry roux is Vermont curry. It tastes a little sweet.
  3. I like to buy frozen Sanuki udon and keep them in the freezer until I need it. No defrost is needed. Throw them in boiling water and ready in minutes.

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