Vegetarian Japanese noodles from SweetPhi

Vegetarian Japanese noodles by SweetPhi – Wisconsin Whisk

Vegetarian Japanese noodles

Ingredients:

• For Japanese pan noodles:
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• ¼ cup of water
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup broccoli, divided into diminutive florets
• ¼ cup grated carrots (about ½ gigantic carrot)
• 1 (9 oz) package of fresh Japanese udon noodles
• ½ cup Asian bean sprouts for sprinkling, optional
• 1 green onion, finely chopped for sprinkling, optional
• 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds for sprinkling, optional
• For the crispy tofu:
• ⅓ block of very firm tofu (about 5 ounces) cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Combine soy sauce, hoisin sauce, water and ginger in a bowl and mix. Remove one tablespoon of cooking sauce from the tofu.
2. Add the oil to a wok, gigantic frying pan or frying pan over high heat and heat for 1-2 minutes or until the oil is very scorching. Add the mushrooms, broccoli and carrots and fry for 3 minutes, then add ⅓ of the sauce and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Add Japanese udon noodles and another ⅓ of the sauce, cook for 5 minutes, stirring/tossing, until the noodles are covered with the sauce, pour in the remaining ⅓ of the sauce and turn off the heat. If the pasta and vegetables are sticking to the edges of the pan, add a few tablespoons of water to make the dish spicier.
4. While the noodles are cooking, prepare the tofu.
5. Dry the tofu cubes with a paper towel. In a bowl, mix the tofu cubes with the cornstarch and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
6. Heat the oil over high heat, then add the tofu cubes and 1 tablespoon of sauce. Let the cubes fry for 1-2 minutes on each side to develop a nice brown crust. Remove from heat when all sides are golden brown. Add tofu to the noodles in the wok and mix until everything is combined.
7. To assemble the Japanese noodle bowls, divide the contents of the wok among 4 bowls and sprinkle with the bean sprouts, green onion and black sesame seeds (if using), then enjoy!