ilyadaysRecipes

Soba

Curry soba (curry nanban)

A soba-shop favourite: dashi turned into a glossy curry broth with two cubes of Japanese curry roux, pork and onion, poured over hot soba. The broth is Just One Cookbook’s curry udon; here it goes over soba. Same box of roux as the easy Golden Curry. For a clear broth, see hot soba noodle soup.

2 bowls~30 min
Curry soba (curry nanban)

Mise en place — set out in the order it goes in

  1. Onion
    Onionthinly slicedStep 2
  2. Pork
    Porkthin slices, bite-sizeStep 3
  3. Sake
    Sake1 tbspStep 3
  4. Dashi
    Dashi3 cupsStep 4
  5. Curry roux
    Curry roux2 cubes, broken off the blockStep 5
  6. Soba
    Sobadried, 100 g per bowlStep 7
  7. Green onions
    Green onionsthinly slicedStep 8

Prep order — what happens when, and what overlaps

minutes
051015202530
Break roux, slice onion + green onions 4 min
4 min
Onion 3 min
3 min
Pork, sake 2 min
Dashi in, simmer + skim 10 min
10 min
Soba water to the boil 8 min
8 min
Dissolve the roux, soy 4 min
4 min
Cook, rinse, re-warm soba 6 min
6 min
Bowls, broth over 2 min
BoardPan / stoveHands-offBowl / counter

Put the soba water on while the broth simmers; the noodles should be ready just as the roux has melted in.

Step by step

  1. Break two cubes off the roux block.
    Break two cubes off the roux block.
    Slice the onion lengthwise into thin petals.
    Slice the onion lengthwise into thin petals.

    1Get ready

    ~4 min

    For this step

    • Japanese curry roux (e.g. Golden Curry)2 cubes
    • Dashi720 ml (3 cups)
    • Green onions2
    • Break 2 cubes off the curry roux block (wrap the rest; it keeps 1–3 months in the fridge or freezer).
    • Make or warm the dashi — any method; see shiitake–kombu or niboshi–bonito dashi.
    • Thinly slice the onion and the green onions (the green onions are the garnish).
    Get ready
    Should look like this
  2. Sauté the onion

    2Sauté the onion

    medium2–3 min

    For this step

    • Neutral oil1 tbsp
    • Yellow onion½ (~160 g)
    • Heat a medium pot over medium heat, add the oil, then the onion.
    • Sauté for 2–3 minutes.
  3. Pork in until barely pink, then the sake.
    Pork in until barely pink, then the sake.

    3Pork and sake

    medium~2 min

    For this step

    • Thinly sliced pork loin170 g (6 oz)
    • Sake1 tbsp

    Add the pork and cook until it’s barely pink, then add the sake.

    Pork and sake
    Should look like this
  4. Dashi in; after 5 minutes skim off the scum and fat.
    Dashi in; after 5 minutes skim off the scum and fat.

    4Dashi in, simmer and skim

    medium-low10 min
    • Pour in the dashi, cover and turn the heat to medium-low for 5 minutes.
    • Skim off the scum and fat with a fine-mesh skimmer, then simmer 5 more minutes.
    • Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on for the soba.
    Dashi in, simmer and skim
    Should look like this
  5. Heat off. One cube at a time: dissolve it in a ladle of stock, then release it.
    Heat off. One cube at a time: dissolve it in a ladle of stock, then release it.

    5Melt in the roux

    heat off~3 min
    • Turn the heat to the lowest setting or off — melting roux sinks and can scorch.
    • Put a cube in a ladleful of the hot stock, dissolve it completely with chopsticks or a spoon, then release it into the pot. Repeat with the second cube.
    Melt in the roux
    Should look like this
  6. Soy, then keep warm

    6Soy, then keep warm

    low~1 min

    For this step

    • Soy sauce2 tsp
    • Turn the heat back to low, add the soy sauce and stir.
    • Once it bubbles, turn off the heat and cover.
  7. Cook 30 seconds under the packet time, then rinse cold, rubbing off the starch.
    Cook 30 seconds under the packet time, then rinse cold, rubbing off the starch.
    Re-warm for 5–8 seconds in boiling water, then drain well.
    Re-warm for 5–8 seconds in boiling water, then drain well.

    7Cook the soba

    high~6 min

    For this step

    • Dried soba200 g (7 oz)
    • Boil the soba for 30 seconds less than the packet says (no salt in the water).
    • Drain and rinse under cold running water, rubbing with your hand to wash off the starch.
    • Re-warm: a quick rinse under hot running water, or 5–8 seconds back in boiling water. Drain well.
    Cook the soba
    Should look like this
  8. Soba in the bowls, curry broth over, green onions on top.
    Soba in the bowls, curry broth over, green onions on top.

    8Serve

    Divide the soba between two bowls, pour the curry broth over and top with the green onions.

    Serve
    Should look like this

Based on: Just One Cookbook — Curry Udon · Just One Cookbook — Soba Noodle Soup (soba method) · Sudachi — Japanese Curry Udon (roux-free broth)