Easy peasy udon with prawn tempura

Lately, the weather outside has been cold, wet and miserable.  On top of that, the hubby is sick.  What we really need during times like this is something hot and comforting.  Since I already made congee the other night, the next best thing is easy peasy udon with prawn tempura.

Easy peasy because for convenience, I use dashinomoto, instant dashi stock, instead of making the stock from scratch with dried kelp and bonito flakes.  For the prawn tempura, I use pre-packaged tempura batter.  All that really needs to be done is to wash and cut up some veggies (bok choy sprout, carrots, shiitake mushrooms or whatever you like) and prep the prawn.  I also throw in some fish balls (the kind used for hot pot) to make it a more substantial meal, but you can exclude it or add chicken if you like.  This is certainly not your traditional Japanese tempura udon, but it’s quick and delicious.

There you have it, a hot meal served in 30 minutes…..that is if you don’t stop here and there to take photos.  😉

Recipes:

2 servings

Prawn tempura

• 10 prawns
• 1/2 cup tempura batter mix
• 3/8 cup cold water
• salt and pepper
• vegetable oil

1. De-shell and de-vein prawns, leaving tails on.  Pat to dry.  Season with a bit of salt and pepper if desired.
2. In a bowl, add the tempura batter and water.  Mix quickly to remove lumps (it’s okay to have a few lumps left), but don’t over mix.  Batter should not be overly thick or liquidy.
3. Heat about 1″ vegetable oil in a wok or high-sided pan on medium heat.  The oil is hot enough and ready to use when a wooden chopstick inserted into the oil creates bubbles.
4. Coat prawn (excluding the tail) in batter, letting any excess batter drip off.
5. Add prawn to oil and cook until golden (couple minutes on each side).  Cook 5-6 prawns at a time to keep the oil temperature constant.
6. Remove cooked prawn from oil and put on plate with paper towel to absorb the oil.

Udon noodle soup

• 2 packages of dashinomoto
• 2 cups chicken broth (I use the low sodium kind)
• 2 cups water
• 1 carrot
• 4 shiitake mushrooms
• 12 bok choy sprouts
• 10 fish balls
• 2 fresh udon blocks (~250g each)
• green onion

1. Peel carrot and chop up into bite size pieces.
2. Chop shiitake mushrooms.
3. Heat chicken broth and water in a medium sized pot on medium-high heat.
4. Add dashinomto.
5. Add carrots and mushrooms and cook until a bit soft (couple minutes).
6. Add fish balls.
7. Add bok choy and cook for a couple more minutes.  Don’t overcook.
8. Add udon and cook ~3 minutes, using chopsticks to separate.
9. Serve in bowl and garnish with finely chopped green onion (optional).