Recipe: Special Curry Udon

When it comes to Japanese noodles, the classic curry udon is one you can’t forget about. This is the kind of meal you’ll order from a Japanese restaurant when you don’t know what you want to eat. Unlike Chinese, Malay or Indian curry, Japanese curry is creamy and thick. It blankets the udon noodles and floods your mouth with its creamy, rich tastes with just one bite. Try making your own Special Curry Udon with the recipe below!

Ingredients

• Homemade Japanese Curry Roux

• • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter (42 g)
  • 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour (30 g) (You can use GF flour as well)
  • 1 Tbsp curry powder (6 g)
  • 1 Tbsp garam masala (6 g)
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (1-2 g) (optional for spicy)

• Curry Udon

  • 3 cups dashi
  • 1 Tbsp neutral-flavoured oil (vegetable, canola, etc.)
  • ½ onion (sliced)
  • ½ lb thinly sliced pork loin (or your choice of protein) (cut into small pieces)
  • 1 Tbsp sake
  • Homemade Japanese curry roux (or 2 cubes of store-bought curry roux)
  • ½ Tbsp soy sauce
  • kosher/sea salt (use half for table salt) (to taste)
  • 2 packages Udon noodles (I use frozen sanuki udon)
  • 1 green onion/scallion (finely chopped)
  • Korean Chili Thread (optional)

Instructions:

Homemade Japanese Curry Roux

1. In a small pot, place the butter over low heat. Cook until the butter melts completely.
2. Pour in the all-purpose flour and mix until everything is combined thoroughly.
3. Cook the mixture 15-20 minutes over low heat. Make sure to stir constantly as the roux will easily burn if left unattended. Cook until the mixture turns light brown.
4. Add the garam masala, curry powder, and cayenne pepper.
5. Mix for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Use immediately.
6. To store, let the curry roux cool in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for a month.

Curry Udon

1. In a large pan, place the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the sliced onions for 7-10 minutes, or until they become soft.
2. Now, increase the heat to high and add in the thinly sliced pork loin (or your personal choice of meat/seafood). Stir-fry until the meat/seafood is almost cooked through.
3. Pour in the dashi stock and sake into the pan, and leave to boil.
4. Once boiling, use a sieve to skim off the scum and fat from the stock. Lower the heat to medium, and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and throw in your 2 cubes of Japanese curry roux. Using a wooden spoon or chopsticks, stir the pan until the Japanese curry roux dissolves completely.
6. Cook the curry over medium-high heat for up to 10 minutes. Make sure to stir the curry once in a while to prevent the curry from burning at the bottom.
7. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the udon noodles for 2-3 minutes, or until they’re soft to your liking. Turn off the heat and drain the noodles well.
8. Add soy sauce and season the curry with salt to taste.
9. Pour your Japanese curry over your udon noodles. Best served warm, enjoy!

Special Curry Udon

Love udon? Other than this Special Curry Udon recipe, Check out our recipes on Black Pepper Udon and Half Boiled Egg Curry Udon here! Experiment with your udon noodles and try out different recipes and tastes at home.

Or, if you’re too lazy to leave the house, you can always satisfy your curry udon fix from the foodpanda app, too. The foodpanda app offers a large variety of Japanese restaurants for you to order from and delivers your meal straight to your doorstep.

So, what’re you waiting for? Order from foodpanda today!