Yakisoba with Mixed Vegetables Recipe

 

I lived in a small village along the western coast of Japan called Nishiyama.  During the summer months the locals always invited me to their hiking tours which were followed by a barbecue on the beach.  This was the first time I ate yakisoba at a Japanese barbecue and it was amazing.  Yakisoba is also a  popular street food at Japanese summer festivals.  Outside of Japan, yakisoba is one of the most popular dishes on menus in Japanese restaurants.  It's easy to make at home so please give it a try.  This is one of my 2 year old's favourite dishes. 

This is a vegetarian dish but if you want to follow the traditional recipe include pork shoulder or pork belly (chicken and prawn go really well too). 

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves (peeled and finely diced ) 

1 onion (peeled and finely diced)

1 carrrot (peeled and cut julienne style)

1 handful of beansprouts 

1 handful of savoy cabbage (finely chopped)

1 pack of egg noodles or ramen noodles

Homemade yakisoba sauce:
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
4 tbsp water
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp sake or red wine
1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp sugar
Freshly ground black pepper (to season)

Vegetable oil (for frying)

To garnish (optional)

Nori (finely grated)

Beni shogu (red pickled ginger)

Serves 2 

Instructions:

1. To make the homemade yakisoba sauce put all the ingredients for sauce in a saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens to the same consistency as tomato ketchup and then set aside.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan/ wok and fry the onion until soft. Then add the garlic.
3. Toss in the carrots and fry for a minute or so before adding the cabbage and beansprouts.
4.  Place the noodles in a bowl of boiling water and untangle with chopsticks or a fork without breaking. Drain and add to the stir fry. 
5. Pour the sauce over the stir fry and mix well.
6. Serve on a plate and top with nori and red pickled ginger.

Tips

- Stir fry the vegetables to your liking but try not to overcrowd the pan.