Hiyashi chuka

[MoGa]

I mentioned a liking for Hiyashi Chuka in the soba thread and was gratified to get a response from nakji linking to photos of her first attempt: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...1entry1562821

I mentioned that I'd been using this brand (Maruchan) for Hiyashi Chuka as we're in London and this makes a convenient and satisfying option.

Yesterday we tried another kind that is currently being sold at London's Rice Wine Shop. It's from Itsuki foods.

Link to product here: http://www.itukifoodshop.jp/shopdetail/015000000007/order/

This seemed more expensive but as it was two servings it wasn't, especially as each serving size was slightly larger than the Maruchan one.

We chose the lemon version, but there's also a sesame kind.

It's been really hot in London recently, it's effectively summer here, and my husband got back very late from work. He was also very hungry so I made two separate portions for him - one of the Itsuki brand, and another of the Maruchan. They compared well, but the Itsuki one was definitely the preferred kind. We'll be stocking up.

As for toppings, I spent little time on them (10-15 minutes). Only cooking involved making an layered omelet (seasoned with a little sugar, mirin, soy sauce and dashi).

In short:

Toppings:

Julienned half a cucumber which I left in a colander with some salt for 20-30 minutes. This I then rinsed and drained.*

Thinly sliced a tomato per serving

Shredded the omelet

and, due to personal preference, shredded some large cooked prawns.shrimp we had in the fridge

Also we had some kinpira already made

Noodles were cooked in boiling water for 4-5 minutes, drained and rinsed with cold water. These were put in a bowl. On top of the noodles I arranged piles of each topping.

To serve we just added the pouch of liquid seasoning, stirred and ate.

Oh it was good!

We'd eaten cold rice noodles with shredded cabbage and fish sauce, lime juice, chili, palm sugar, garlic, cucumber, fresh mint leaves and prawns the day before. Tthe vinegary Hiyashi Chuka stood up well against such a flavourful competitor.

I would like to try making Hiyashi Chuka with a home-made sauce and I know that nakji's miso based one didn't wow her (it did seem rather bland). Does anyone have a recipe they can recommend, or even alternative suggestions for toppings faithful to the Hiyashi Chuka taste?

*I'm sorry to admit that I don't like raw cucumber - yet I'm happy to eat them once they've been leached this way

[MoGa]

Spicy Hiyashi Chuka with Goya???

I'm not sure if I've got this right, but this recipe seems very interesting to me*:

http://www.misbit.com/recipe/mid002057.html

4 servings:

480g Chinese/Ramen style noodles - 4 x 120g

5 pieces of chikuwa

1 Goya (bitter gourd/bitter melon) approx 250g

1 tomato - approx 200g

For sauce

4 tablespoons dashi

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon Douban jiang

The goya is cut in half lengthways and 'cored'/seeds removed, then sliced thinly. It's left in a colander mixed with salt for 10 minutes to leach (I assume this will make it less bitter). The Goya is rinsed well in cold water and squeezed dry.

Chikuwa is sliced diagonally and the tomato cut into slices.

Combine and mix the sauce ingredients together.

Cook noodles according to instructions, drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again and place in serving plates/bowls.

Add chikuwa, goya and tomato and add sauce.

*I found out about douban jiang recently thanks to Hiroyuki, found out some more in the China forum and have deveoped a real taste for it.

---

Just found this post in the Okinawa thread: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1051336

not a million miles away from the recipe I've just posted

Edited May 15, 2008 by MoGa (log)

[MoGa]

Spicy Hiyashi Chuka with Goya???

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We managed to get the ingredients for this and had it this evening.

The Goya was Thai Bitter Melon, a lighter green and less 'frilly' than Japanese goya - smelled very 'grassy'. We were a little nervous about the bitterness so after salting it I blanched the slices too before rinsing with cold water and squeezing dry. Also, my husband found some excellent fresh fish cake 'roll' from a chiller cabinet, so we used strips of this instead of the chikuwa we had in the freezer.

So I followed the recipe. The sauce was so good I made a bit more - if you like the idea of spicy Hiyashi Chuka this is an excellent and very simple recipe for it.

We really, really enjoyed the mixed dish and will certainly be having it again. The goya was far too bitter eaten on its own, but in combination with the other ingredients it was delightful - we think the sesame oil (and I suspect the douban jiang also) played a vital part in taming this 'difficult' vegetable.

Very different from yesterday's more conventional Hiyashi Chuka, but no worse for that. Not a particularly beautiful dish but delicious and refreshing.

[Hiroyuki]

MoGa, you should update the Cold Noodle Dishes Cook-Off thread in the Cooking Forum!

[MoGa]

MoGa, you should update the Cold Noodle Dishes Cook-Off thread in the Cooking Forum!

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Wouldn't I need to illustrate a thread like that? My indoor photography skills suck.