Curried udon noodles

A quick and immensely satisfying onewok meal. Get cooking now and you could be eating in 15 minutes, or read on for a little history.

In the past 150 years, Japan has become a nation of curry lovers with a heavily Japanised influence on the

Indian flavours. Curray, as it is locally known, is served donburistyle over rice with pickles, cooked into rich noodle soups or stuffed into the slightly sweet buns of every convenience store. It is also a favourite for school lunches and the home cook with whole supermarket aisles dedicated to provisions, including curry spice blends sold in mild, medium and (only nominally) hot. Much like Western curry powders, the base of these is turmeric, coriander and cumin, with aroma from spices including cardamom, cloves and fennel. Unique to Japan are caramel slabs called curry roux. Made from fat, flour, curry powder and soy sauce, these melt in the pan to a smooth brown sauce.

A couple of theories for curry’s introduction to the country could explain the flourthickened sauces. It may have crossed from Shanghai, where there was a large Indian population, the flourthickener being an influence from Chinese cookery. Or it could have been introduced via the British, who held India under colonial rule and were themselves fusing Indian flavours with rouxbased stews. Either way, the habit is now fully ingrained in Japanese cuisine, acting as comfort food that can be eaten without the need of ceremony.

Chewy udon noodles might be curried either in a thick soup (using curry roux) or quickly stirfried yakistyle (with curry powder) as here. The bitterness of the bok choy plays off beautifully against the gloss of the saltysweet, earthyspiced mirin.

Serves 2

1 Tbsp neutral oil

1 onion, thickly sliced

8 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

50g mangetout (snowpeas)

2 baby bok choy, quartered

3 spring onions (scallions), cut at an angle into 3cm pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

300g fresh udon noodles (or 200g dried, cooked)

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 scant tsp curry powder

Grinding of black pepper

3 Tbsp mirin

2 Tbsp Japanese soy sauce

Juice of 1⁄2 a lime

Optional toppings

Pink pickled ginger Aonori (dried seaweed powder) or shredded nori Toasted sesame seeds

Method

Heat the wok, then add the oil and onion and fry to soften. Add the shiitake, mangetout, bok choy and spring onions and cook for 5 minutes more over a medium high heat, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for just a minute longer.

Untangle the noodles into the wok then toss through the sesame oil, curry powder and a generous grinding of black pepper. Add the mirin and soy sauce and let the noodles warm through and soak up most of the sauce.

Spritz in the lime juice and remove from the heat. Portion into bowls and, if using, scatter with the toppings.