For families seeking a comforting yet quick meal solution, food writer Emiko Davies has shared her delightful vegetable udon curry recipe that brings Japanese home cooking traditions to British kitchens in well under an hour.
A Family-Friendly Japanese Classic
Growing up in a Japanese household, Davies recalls curry appearing regularly on the family dinner table. The standard Japanese curry featuring potatoes, onion, carrot and pork thickened with S&B Golden Curry blocks became a weekly tradition that she now continues with her own family.
However, like many modern households, Davies faces the challenge of catering to different preferences. "My kids are a little fussy: one likes it with tonkatsu on top and the other doesn't want any meat at all," she explains. This led to the development of her vegetable-focused version that satisfies everyone while requiring minimal adaptation.
The Perfect Solution for Impatient Diners
This vegetable udon curry, known as yasai kare udon in Japanese, offers a significant time advantage over traditional curry served with rice. The dish saves approximately 20 minutes by eliminating the rice cooking time, especially when using fresh or frozen noodles.
Davies notes an important adaptation for those preferring rice: use only half the quantity of dashi since the curry is intentionally made soupier to complement the noodles. For ginger preparation, she recommends a Japanese grater (oroshigane) or microplane as alternatives.
Recipe: Vegetable Udon Curry
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 35 minutes
Infusing: Overnight (optional)
Serves: 4
For the dashi:
- 2 x 12cm pieces kombu
- 1 litre cold water
For the curry:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4cm knob fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced
- ½ aubergine, diced
- A pinch of salt
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped into chunky slices
- 200g potato (floury will be softer, waxy will be firmer), peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp Japanese curry powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp mirin, or sake
- 1 litre dashi
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ green bell pepper, seeds and pith discarded, flesh thinly sliced
- 2 tsp potato starch, or cornflour
- 2 tbsp miso
- 4 servings udon noodles
Preparation Method
Begin by preparing the dashi using one of two methods. For the cold infusion approach, combine kombu and cold water in a container, cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove the kombu before use. For a quicker alternative, gently heat the kombu and water in a saucepan over low heat, removing the kombu just before boiling.
For the curry, melt butter in a heavy-based saucepan or donabe over medium heat. Add ginger, onion, aubergine and salt, stirring for about two minutes until coated in the buttery ginger mixture. Incorporate carrot and potato, followed by curry powder and garam masala, ensuring even coating.
Pour in the mirin, followed by dashi and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook vegetables for approximately 10 minutes until tender. Add the green pepper and cook for an additional two minutes.
Create a slurry by mixing potato starch with water until dissolved, then stir into the curry along with miso. Allow to bubble and thicken for one minute.
Meanwhile, cook udon noodles according to package instructions, drain and rinse under cold water to enhance their springy texture. Divide noodles between four bowls and ladle the vegetable curry over the top.
This recipe represents an edited extract from The Japanese Pantry by Emiko Davies, published by Smith Street Books at £30, offering British home cooks accessible entry into Japanese culinary traditions.
