Yaki Udon

Yaki udon is a Japanese noodle stir-fry dish that can be prepared very quickly, which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner. Yaki means grilled, broiled, or pan-fried in Japanese. Udon is a thick chewy noodle that is commonly used in hot pot types of dishes. Similar to yakisoba, another type of popular stir-fry noodle dish, yaki udon can be customized to your liking.

There are many variations of yaki udon sauces as there are for recipes for spaghetti marinara. I personally believe a person should cook according to their palate or to the palates of those they are cooking for. This particular recipe uses common Asian ingredients easily found at an Asian grocery store or in the Asian section of your local grocery store.

Made with fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, mirin, yakisoba sauce, rice vinegar, and salt and pepper, this sauce is easily adaptable to your liking. If you prefer a more sweet sauce, you can either add more mirin or another type of sweetener of your choice. If you prefer a more garlic flavor, add a couple more cloves of garlic. If you're not a ginger fan, omit the ginger entirely. The key to successfully stir-frying noodles, meat, or vegetables is to make sure you don't over crowd the hot sizzling pan and to add the sauce slowly, just a little bit at a time. This makes it easier for the ingredients to absorb the sauce without drowning in it.

As for the vegetables, the choice is entirely up to you. Broccoli, kale, carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, onion, bean sprouts zucchini, and mushrooms are a few suggestions that work great in this recipe. If you use vegetables that take a long time to sauté until done, I always suggest that you partially cook the vegetables (such as broccoli, sweet potatoes, green beans, etc.) before adding them to the stir-fry.

As for protein chicken, beef, pork, or firm tofu work nicely in stir-fry, and compliment the noodles and vegetables beautifully.

Give this home version of a popular Japanese restaurant classic a try. Once you realize how simple it is to make, you'll want to add it to your regular rotation of nightly dinners.