Noodles Recipes (154): Easy Home Cooking

Kawara Soba (Tile Soba Noodles)

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

The contrast of a crisp bottom and soft top is the joy of kawara soba. Resist touching while the crust forms.

Sauce Yakisoba

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

Pre-searing the noodles browns the surface so they stay fragrant and don't turn watery when sauced.

Japanese Cabbage Rolls in Consommé (Roru Kyabetsu)

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

Packing the rolls tightly in the pot keeps them from falling apart and from unrolling even without toothpicks. If there are gaps, roll up leftover cabbage and stuff it in.

Spaghetti Napolitan (Japanese Ketchup Spaghetti)

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

For the soft, chewy texture of a Japanese coffee shop, cook the noodles a little longer, coat them in oil and let them rest before stir-frying. Some shops use noodles boiled the day before and refrigerated.

Motsunabe (Beef Offal Hot Pot, Soy Sauce Flavor)

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

If you buy raw offal, the rule is to use it the same day. If you use pre-cleaned frozen offal, thaw it in the refrigerator before pouring boiling water over it.

Simple Stir-fried Sugar Crust (Easy Version)

Difficulty：★★★★☆ 1028 kcal

Guan Se (Sugar Crust) is a key technique for coloring red-braised dishes in Chinese cuisine. When done perfectly, it brings a vibrant glossy red color and a unique caramelized flavor. The main ingredient is sugar, which provides energy, but its primary function is to harmonize the dish's appearance and flavor. This easy version of making sugar crust requires some control over heat; novices need to practice more to avoid a bitter or overly sweet result. Total time approx 10 minutes.

Hokkaido Ramen Recipe: Soy Sauce Ramen Topped with Stir-Fried Vegetables

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

Putting lard in the bowl first creates a thin layer of fat on the surface of the soup that keeps it hot to the last sip, a trick born in Japan's cold north.

Hoto (Yamanashi Flat Noodles in Miso with Pumpkin)

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

Because there is no salt in the noodles, they can go straight into the pot without pre-boiling. The dusting flour dissolves and naturally thickens the broth, which is what makes hoto hoto.

Okinawa Soba (Pork and Bonito Noodle Soup)

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

The pork cooking liquid is the foundation of the Okinawa soba soup. Remove too much fat and the soup loses richness, so leave some behind.

Nagasaki Champon (Seafood and Pork Noodle Soup)

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

The hallmark of champon is that the noodles are not boiled separately but simmered in one pot with the toppings and soup, so they soak up all the flavour of the broth.

Oden (Tokyo-Style Japanese Hot Pot)

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

The biggest secret is never letting it boil. A rolling boil makes the fish cakes swell and lose their flavour, and clouds the broth.

Sukiyaki (Gunma Style with Warishita)

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

Cook the first slice yaki-suki style, simply seared with a coating of warishita. The aroma of the beef comes through and you get the true pleasure of sukiyaki.

Tonkatsu (Japanese Breaded Pork Cutlet)

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

It is cooked when the center shows no raw red when cut and the juices run clear. For thicker pieces, fry at 160°C for 5 minutes and finish at 180°C for 30 seconds to cook it through without burning.

Nikujaga (Japanese Meat and Potato Stew)

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

Adding sugar first and soy sauce later is the basic rule of Japanese simmered dishes. Letting the sweetness soak in first keeps the ingredients tender and helps the flavor penetrate.

Kake Udon (Udon in Hot Dashi Broth)

Difficulty：☆☆☆☆☆

Use light soy sauce for the clear Kansai-style broth. For Kanto style, use 2 tbsp dark soy sauce and 1 tsp sugar for a darker, slightly sweeter broth.