I used to not like fat udon. The thick, round noodles look childlike and lacking in sophistication.
Now that we live in Vancouver, I’m coming around to them. Many Asian restaurants serve some form of udon in this city, and the noodles are easily available at the supermarket. We decided to give them a try at home.
It’s best to buy udon that’s pretty much already cooked, so all you have to do is drop it in boiling water for about 3 min.
I got the idea to make a sauce for the udon with coconut milk and curry, which creates a rich flavor, full of umami. You can add in any protein you like. This dish uses chicken.
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
4 large chicken thighs, deboned and cubed
salt to taste
Heat up olive oil in a skillet, sprinkle the chicken with salt, toss the chicken into the skillet, and cook thoroughly, stirring occasionally.
For the noodles:
2 packets of single-serve udon noodles
3 pinches of salt
1/2 can coconut milk
curry paste to taste
Boil water with the salt in a large pot and add the udon. Cook for about 3 min., then drain.
Put the empty pot on low heat, pour in the coconut milk, and stir in the curry paste. The paste is very concentrated, so be conservative as you dole it out, making sure to taste. Add the drained noodles back into the pot and stir the sauce into the noodles thoroughly. Add salt to taste if you like.
You can serve the chicken on top of the noodles; the dish is prettier that way. But for the best flavor, stir the cooked chicken into the noodles, including the oil that the chicken has been cooked in.
Enjoy!
ATB 