Zaru Soba at home

We've had a long week. Hannah has been really, really sick with gastroenteritis. We had two trips to emergency with a listless, dehydrated little girl. After five days, she's nowhere near all better, but very slowly on the mend.

I needed a little break today and went out and ran some errands and stopped by Fujiya, a Japanese grocery store and picked up some treats. I wanted a tasty and light dinner and Zaru Soba is one of Matt's favourite foods. This might not be the most authentic way to make it, but it's really delicious, light and refreshing for warm days. These ingredients are all available at most regular grocery stores if you don't have a Japanese grocery nearby.

 Zaru Soba

 serves 2-3 people

200 gms of soba noodles (1/2 a standard package)

4 green onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely grated daikon radish

wasabi, about 1 tsp prepared (I use the powdered wasabi and add water)

a corner of a sheet of nori, cut into little strips with scissors (optional)

toasted sesame seeds (optional)
 

Dipping Sauce

1 cup dashi stock (you can make your own, I use this recipe or use premade) 

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 tbsp mirin

1 tsp sugar

Cook noodles in boiling water, they can turn mushy fast, so try to catch them while they are still a little al dente. Drain the noodles and run under cold water, rinsing completely. Throw them back in the pot with cold water and a handful of ice cubes.

Mix the sauce ingredients together and split it up between a few bowls (how many people are eating). Put the grated daikon and green onion in to bowls.

Drain the noodles, plate them, sprinkle with nori and it's dinner time!

Each person can mix a little wasabi, daikon, green onion and sesame seeds in with their dipping sauce and then with chopsticks take some noodles and swish the noodles through the dipping sauce and eat! nom nom nom.

We had ours with some steamed green beans tossed with a tiny bit of olive oil, herb salt and sesame seeds and some shibazuke (japanese pickles) on the side.