Spicy Turmeric Udon with Smoked Tofu & Crispy Shimeji
/I adore the chewy bouncy texture with a bite from Udon noodles. Invariably I always have a packet of cooked Udon in my freezer, no need to thaw straight into boiling water for 1 min and hot sear in the pan with the sauce for another minute or two and done. This version has both chile pepper and sriracha for the kick but feel free to adjust to suit your spice tolerance. Smoked tofu adds another layer of complexity which is hard to substitute so highly recommend procuring some from your local grocery store.
Ingredients (serves 2)
3 tbsp Neutral Oil
1 tbsp Ground Coriander Seeds
1.5-2 tsp Ground Turmeric (adjust based on your personal preference)
30g (4oz) Buna Shimeji Mushrooms (any petite cluster mushrooms should be okay), whole & separated tossed in 1/2 tbsp Corn or Potato Starch
1/2-1 tsp Chile Pepper Flakes (adjust to your spice tolerance)
1/2 tsp Flaky Sea salt
220g Cooked Udon (I prefer the frozen pre-cooked ones from the frozen Aisle in H-Mart)
4 scallions, whites finely chopped & greens thinly sliced for topping
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp Miso Paste well mixed with 2 tsp Sriracha & 1/2 tsp Water
120g Smoked Tofu, finely diced (if living in the US then the Trader Joe’s Sriracha Tofu could work)
1/2 head of roasted garlic - about 10 cloves (optional but highly recommended)
2 tbsp Light Soy (substitute Tamari or Coco Aminos)
1/2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar (substitute with Apple Cider Vinegar)
40ml Water (I use reserved Noodle cooking water)
Generous squeeze of Lime (optional but kinda not!)
Directions
🍜 Heat up a wok or deep bottom pan, sprinkle some water to test if it sizzles. Once it does, quickly add oil, coated mushrooms, coriander and turmeric. Fry on high heat for 5-6 mins or until golden brown. Fish out mushrooms into a bowl and leave spiced oil in the wok. Add chile flakes and salt to fried mushrooms, toss well and keep them aside
🍜 Add scallion whites & garlic to the spiced oil. Turn on heat and fry them on low heat for 3-4 mins or until it’s aromatic. Now add miso-sriracha concoction and fry for 1 min then add Tofu & Roasted garlic (if using). Fry for 1 min then add remaining ingredients. Let it cook on medium heat for 2-3 mins or until begins to bubble a lot
🍜 Now transfer the Cooked Udon into wok, fry everything (while mixing well) on high heat for 2 mins. Divide and transfer into serving bowls, top with fried mushrooms & reserved scallion greens. Finish with a generous squeeze of lime!