Dumpling Sisters — Fried Udon with Crispy Tofu

Plump strands of udon are perfectly complemented by golden tofu nuggets

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Everyone loves a big ol’ plate of tangly noodles, and our mum’s classic chicken fried noodleshave been a huge hit at our market stall in Christchurch for over 20 years. Rapidly tossed in a dry and ultra hot wok, her noodles are packed with a smoky wok hei flavour.

Fried noodles are definitely high up on our list of favourite comfort foods. But they’re not the only type of wokked noodle that we love. There’s another, more chilled out method for cooking noodles that leaves you with the juiciest, most flavourful strands.

The technique known as yeung mian saturates noodles with flavour by gently simmering them in a flavoursome liquid until they are piping hot. This method works particularly well with thicker noodles like udon and fresh egg noodles, as these are better vessels for soaking up the liquidy seasoning. There’s also something quite relaxing about the process of making yeung mian as you swill the noodles around in a saucy bath to coax in the flavour.

In this recipe, we’ve paired savoury udon noodles with crispy spiced tofu. Not only does tofu add an excellent source of protein to this dish, it’s also a wonderful contrast against the slipperiness of the noodles. If tofu isn’t your cup of tea, you can easily replace it with stir fried chicken or prawns.

Serves
a

Ingredients

500g ready-to-eat thick udon noodles, or fresh egg noodles
350g firm tofu
2 tbsp cornflour
2 pinches ground white pepper
2 pinches chilli powder
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
1/2 mild red pepper, thinly sliced
vegetable oil

For the sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp water

Noodles Tofu Dinner Lunch

Story
Method

Ingredients
Method

Serves
a

Ingredients

For the sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp water

GET THE METHOD →

Swizzle the noodles around in a large bowl of cold water to loosen them up, then drain and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the sauce ingredients until the sugar and salt have dissolved, then set aside.
Press the tofu bricks with a tea towel to remove as moisture as you can. Slice the bricks into small cubes. In a wide dish with high sides (like a casserole dish), gently toss the cubes in the cornflour, white pepper and chilli powder. A rubber spatula works well here.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the noodles and the sauce, and gently simmer for a few minutes until the noodles have warmed through, and the sauce has soaked deep into the strands. The noodles will change from a pale colour to a glossy dark brown as they drink up the sauce.
Drain the crispy tofu nuggets on some kitchen paper, and season with a sprinkle of salt. Serve the crispy tofu on a bed of noodles, with the sliced spring onions and chillies scattered on top.