Udon/饂飩/うどん, although not suitable for wheat allergics, can be easily turned vegetarian or vegan, depending on the soup and seasonings/accompaniments.
It is fullfilling and healthy and can be eaten hot in soup or fried, or cold, especially in salads!
INGREDIENTS (basic):
-Wheat flour: 1 kg (fine, light type)
-Salt: 40 g (can be reduced to 30 g)
-Water: 460 ml
RECIPE:
Dissolve salt in water first.
Pour flour in an all-purpose large bowl.
Pour the water onto the flour little by little.
Mix and knead little by little until all the water has been used.
At that time you may think you haven’t added enough water. Don’t worry. Just keep kneading for 10 minutes. it will eventually become smooth.
The following is interesting. In restaurants it is done with a special wooden lever with the chf standing on one end!
Wrap the dough in a cellophane paper and press the whole (wash your feet!) with the whole foot until the dough has spread somewhat flat. Take the dough out of the cellophane paper, shape it into a ball, wrap it again and press with your foot.
Do that for 15 minutes.
Do not skip that step!
Ask hubby or (big) kids to help if necessary!
Shape the dough in a ball, wrap it in cellophane paper and leave it to rest for a while.
Sprinkle flour on a working table.
Roll the dough out into a 3 mm thick sheet.
Sprinkle flour on the dough sheet surface, fold the dough as shown on pic above and cut every 3 mm to obtain square section noodles/udon.
Shake and separate the udon and gather them as in picture above.
They are ready!
Throw the udon in water heated just before boiling point. Cook (make sure the water does not boil) for 6 minutes.
You can use the udon just after after but it is better to go through the next step:
Drop the udon into a strainer and wash them quickly under cold clear water. They will look far more appetizing this way and easy to conserve until you drop them into soup, fry them or dress them into a salad!
As for the soup, there are many ways to make it, whereas you are vegan, vegetarian or omnivore. If you use dashi, use konbu/seaweed dashi if you are not an omnivore. One can add soy sauce, mirin/sweet sake and sugar.
Serve the udon as they are or with chopped leeks and aburaage tofu and so forth!
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日本語のブログ
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SHIZUOKA GOURMET 
Ahh, such happy memories of kitsune udon in Kyoto when I was teaching there… when the paycheck ran out a good bowl of udon was all I could afford, so naturally I came to love them! It’s good to find a website that actually knows what udon is, so many Americans seem to think just any old noodles can be called udon!!
I wonder, what is your favourite udon dish? Katsu-don was one of my favourites too (when I could afford it!!!)
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Kitsune-udon!
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You provided so many ideas my head is spinning and I don’t know where to start. Thanks so much for sharing the very inspirational post.
Alicia
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It’s amazing that something with so few ingredients can be so tasty. I lived in Japan for three years, so I got very spoiled by the fresh noodles there! I was wondering if you have ever find the secret to fresh ramen noodles. I have lots and lots of recipes for broths, but nothing for the noodles themselves.
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All right, Tracey!
I will try and organize a recipe for fresh ramen!
Cheers,
Robert-Gilles
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Mmmm…I actually just had some udon soup several days ago. It was satisfying.
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Satisfying and healthy!
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This looks perfect about now – I swear not much better than a good bowl of udon!
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LOL
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I can’t wait to try these noodles! I love udon..great in Japan and NY now has some fine places for them… but homemade with feet??? How great is that, Merci’!!
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You are most welcome, My dear Deanna!
Bien amicalement,
Robert-Gilles
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Is not Udonko high glutinous flour needed to make Udon? I am not sure all purpose flour would work, what is your take on this? I used something called Special flour which is high in gluten to make this once, and it was OK.
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Dear Johan!
greetings!
The Japanese amke their udon with wheat flour mostly imported from Australia.
Thin flour work best!
Cheers,
Robert-Gilles
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