I love udon noodles. I’m also obsessed with the show Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, on Netflix. It’s so beautiful, I’ve rewatched every episode a few times. Samin Nosrat is my queen. In the show, she talks about wabi-sabi, the worldview centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. For example, in the picture above you can’t really see it but I burned the fried egg. That’s the beauty of wabi-sabi: things can go slightly wrong but it’s okay. More people should be into it.
Kake udon noodles are my favorite. They’re firm, chewy, and chunky. I recently went to HMart and bought a very large supply of noodles (among many other tasty ingredients), so I am excited to share this recipe. As I’ve mentioned before, most of these directions/measurements are done by the eye. I highly suggest you add more or remove what you like from the main ingredients. Like spice? Add more! Hate mushrooms? Remove them completely!
What you’ll need: 🔪 (this is for two people!)
- 1 cup of bok choi, chopped
- 4 medium shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup purple cabbage, chopped
- 3-4 carrots, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, grated
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional, if you like spice! if you don’t you’re boring :p )
- 180 grams of cooked kake udon noodles (I calculate about 90 grams per person)
Toppings:
- kimchi, for topping
- 2 eggs, the fresher the better, for topping
- green onions, for topping
- 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
Method: 🥢
In a large pan (if you have a wok use that!) at medium heat add sesame oil, followed by the garlic, ginger, lime/lemon, and cayenne pepper. Pay attention! Right when it starts browning add the soy sauce. Followed by your veggies.
Cook for about 5 minutes, when the greens start to wilt. They will reduce significantly. When the carrots start to soften. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes more and cover the pan.
In a separate bowl, loosen up the udon noodles in hot water, once they’re loose add to the pan with veggies.
On a separate, smaller pan fry the eggs one by one. My trick for a runny yolk and nice whites? Hot oil, add the egg and cover the pan for about 3 minutes. When your egg is nice and fried, set aside on a paper towel so the grease can be absorbed.
When the veggies are soft and the noodles and tasty (try your food for christ sake!!) transfer all of this to the bowl. Not tasty enough? Think about what would taste better: do you like more salt? Add more soy sauce. Need more acidity? More lime. Like more spice? Bust out the sriracha! Always remember: you are cooking for your taste buds.
After everything is done and transferred to the bowl, top with the fried egg, kimchi, and green onions!
So, what is it that makes these kimchi udon noodles good? ❤️ 🍜
The chewiness of the udon noodles is probably my favorite part. That together with the runny yolk that adds more sauce, the tangy funk of the kimchi and the rich depth of the shiitake mushrooms all together are umami perfection in my mouth.