Japanese Tempura Vegetables Served Over Udon Noodles Cooked In Umami Sauce
Team: Super Noodle Squad
Host School: Randolph Elementary School
Age Group: Middle School
Ingredients
Udon Noodles in Umami Sauce
4 Cups Water
½ Cup Soy Sauce
½ Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Table spoons Sesame Oil
2 4X5 inch sheet Kombu sea weed
1 Medium Portabella cap sliced
¼ Cup dried sliced Shitake mushrooms or ½ Cup fresh sliced Shitake mushrooms
2 Cloves fresh Garlic, crushed
1 2 inch piece fresh peeled Ginger root, crushed
(optional) skins and peels from vegetables for Tempura
½ Tablespoon corn starch mixed in ¼ Cup warm water for thickening
1 9.5oz package Udon Noodles
Japanese Tempura Vegetables
For Batter
3 Cups Iced Water
2 large Egg Yokes
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
3 1⁄4 Cups allpurpose Flour 1⁄2 Tablespoon Salt
Vegetables
1 small Sweet Potato grated or sliced into thin strips.
1 medium Sweet Onion cut in half and sliced into thin strips.
1 medium Butternut Squash (mock prawn) peeled, seeded and cut into thin strips. (Using C shaped seed cavity pieces to resemble prawns).
1 medium Broccoli crown cut into 1x2 inch strips
1 medium Cauliflower crown cut into 1x2 inch strips Optional or Seasonal Vegetables
1 Cup Baby Kale and Baby Spinach mix
1 small Zucchini sliced into thin strips
1⁄2 Cup Green Beans cut into 2 inch sections
1⁄2 Cup sliced shitake mushrooms
1 Medium Yukon Gold Potato sliced into thin strips Scallions or Chives for garnish (optional)
Edible Flowers for garnish (optional)
1 or 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
Preparation Instructions
Udon Noodles in Umami Sauce
Combine water, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, kombu, portabella, shitake, garlic, ginger & optional peels in medium 4qt. saucepan. Over medium to high heat, bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain out solids. Return broth to medium to high heat. Mix cornstarch in warm water and add to broth. Stir until broth starts to boil. Add noodles, reduce heat, and stir occasionally. Allow noodles to cook for about 6 minutes or until tender. Remove noodles from broth.
Japanese Tempura Vegetables
For Batter
In medium mixing bowl combine 1 1⁄2 Cup flour and 1T cornstarch and 1⁄4 T. salt. In separate bowl beet yokes with chopsticks. Add iced water into flour mixture. Gently blend, add yokes, being careful not to over mix. Batter should be lumpy and cream like in consistency.
For dredging
In a separate shallow dish, mix together remainder of flour and salt. This will help batter adhere to vegetables.
For frying
In castiron skillet, bring 3⁄4 inches of cooking oil to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Use candy thermometer inserted into oil to help regulate temperature.
Process
Dredge vegetables in flour mixture, dust off excess flour. Dip vegetables in batter. Carefully place battered vegetables in hot oil. Separate vegetable from each other. Tiny brisk bubbles should appear around the vegies. Cook about 3 to 5 minutes, turning vegetables over occasionally. As batter cooks, bubbles should grow larger and slow in intensity, batter will be golden brown. Remove from oil using slotted spoon or wire mesh “spider”, place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
To serve:
Cover bottom of plate with Udon Noodles, ladle 2 or 3 oz. Umami Sauce over noodles. In an astatically appealing way, arrange Tempura Vegetables over Udon Noodles, place Prawn shaped squash on top. Garnish, serve and enjoy!