As the name suggests, Curry Udon is the combination of Japanese curry rice with udon noodles. The fusion of these two popular dishes creates a big of bowl of comfort that everyone will love. Combining the rich, aromatic, and subtly sweet flavour of curry with the thick and chewy noodles of udon, this dish offers a delightful blend of textures and tastes. Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight meal or wanting to impress your guests with a flavourful and satisfying yet simple dish, this authentic Japanese curry udon recipe is sure to deliver.
What is Curry Udon?
Curry udon is a mouthwatering Japanese dish that combines two popular Japanese dishes: curry rice and udon noodle soup. Switching out the rice for thick and chewy udon noodles creates a different dining experience and a delicious fusion of dishes.
Curry Udon Ingredients
Udon Noodles
Udon is Japanese wheat noodle. It is usually a thick and chewy noodle served both hot or cold. It’s a very popular noodle in Japan and is accessible in most major cities around the world. If you can’t access it then you can make it yourself with simple ingredients following this recipe.
Udon comes in many different forms: fresh udon noodles, dry, and frozen. In Australia we can get dry udon and frozen udon. I usually get frozen udon from Asian or Japanese grocery stores. Those frozen udon are very convenient and just need to be thawed and heated in boiling water for 1 minute.
Vegetables
I usually keep it simple and just use onion but feel free to add whatever vegetables you like. Other common curry ingredients are potato and carrot but you could also add green peas, broccoli, peppers, garlic, and more.
Proteins
Whether you’re a meat lover or prefer plant-based options, there are numerous choices available that will work well in curry udon. Popular protein options include beef, pork, chicken, tofu, and aburaage (fried tofu).
Japanese curry roux
Known for its rich and aromatic taste, this unique blend of spices and herbs serves as the foundation for creating delectable Japanese curry dishes. Unlike curries from India, Japanese curry is not spicy and has a subtly sweet flavour.
Udon broth
Made from a combination of carefully selected ingredients such as bonito flakes, kombu seaweed and shiitake mushrooms, this savory dashi stock boasts a rich umami flavor.
Garnishes
chopped scallions, and shichimi togarashi
How to make Curry Udon
Prep Work
Slicing and Dicing! First things first – prepare all your ingredients. Thinly slice the protein of your choice and the onion. Chop the scallions finely, and set aside half a cup of green peas if desired.
Make curry base udon broth
- Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and protein of your choice. Stir-fry until the onion turns translucent and the protein changes colour.
- Pour two cups of water into the pot, allowing it to mix with the protein and onions. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Add instant udon soup powder, and 2 pieces of curry roux. When all the roux has dissolved and the soup has thickened, turn the heat off.
Cook Udon Noodles
Serve them all together
Tips for Making Curry Udon
- Cook the noodles just right: Udon noodles play a crucial role in this dish – their chewy texture complements perfectly with the rich curry sauce. Follow the package instructions carefully while cooking them to ensure they retain their desirable texture.
- Enhance Your Broth: To create a well-balanced broth, start by preparing a flavorful base using ingredients such as dashi stock, and opt for Japanese brand curry roux. Japanese brand curry roux offers various levels of spiciness and richness.
FAQ
A : These thick wheat noodles are known for their chewy texture and ability to absorb flavors from accompanying sauces and broths. While curry udon can shine on its own, pairing it with the right side dishes can elevate your culinary experience to new heights. Some delectable side dish options that perfectly complement curry udon are pickled daikon, umeboshi, yuzu daikon, cucumber sunomono, asian cucumber salad, and goma-ae.
A : This particular recipe is not vegan friendly however it can be made to be a vegan-friendly option. This recipe includes ingredients such as fish-based broth and protein options like beef and chicken etc, however, there are plenty of alternatives available. By substituting the broth with vegetable-based options and choosing plant-based proteins, vegans can enjoy a delicious bowl of curry udon.
Curry Udon カレーうどん
Video
Ingredients
- 150 g thinly sliced beef
- 1/2 onion
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups of water
- 1 packet of Udon soup
- 2 pieces of curry roux
- 1 chopped scallions (green shallot) to garnish
- 2 frozen udon noodles
Instructions
- Slice the beef very thinly and chop the onions.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in an oven proof frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and cook for a couple minutes.
- Add the beef and cook until the meat colour change.
- Add 2 cups of water and bring it to boil. Remove the scum as often and as necessary.
- Open and empty the instant udon soup packet to the frying pan.
- Add 2 pieces of curry roux.
- When all the roux has dissolved and the soup has thickened, turn the heat off.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring 2 litres of water to boil and add the udon noodle and cook it for one minute. *1
- Turn the heat off and drain the cooking water.
- Serve half of the udon noodle in a bowl and pour half of the curry soup.
- Garnish with chopped green shallots.
Made this last night and it was delicious!
I bought a pack of udon but it had seaweed flavoured soup base. Still worked really well, I couldn’t find the individual udon soup packets in Victoria.
What cut of beef did you use?
PS: Loving your website!
Thank you Natalia, you can use udon soup from scratch with Dashi recipes I recently uploaded. You need to add mirin and soy sauce to any of the dashi. My favourite is NIboshi dashi. I buy thinly sliced wagyu beef from a local Japanese grocery stores. I bet more Japanese grocery stores there than they are in Brisbane. If you can’t find any you can froze a piece of meat half frozen and slice it thinly with a sharp knife.
It’s lion pork I think, the thinly sliced one.
This looks absolutely delicious and easy, too. Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome 😀
I don’t have 1 packet of Udon soup or 2 pieces of curry roux, but I do have miso, chinese spices, ginger, various curries. What can I substitute?
Hi Chris, You can make miso flavoured Udon, but it will not be curry flavoured udon.
delicious and super easy to make! 🙂
Thank you Kari 😀
Unfortunately shipping for those instant udon packets would cost $35.99 to ship to Canada, is there any way I could substitute the instant udon with something different?
Thank you!
Hi Brian, Ohhh so sorry to hear it. Udon should be inexpensive meal… Ok my blog is still young and I have a lots to share. Making your own udon noodle is one of them. Stay tuned, I will share homemade udon noodle soon. It is not difficult to make 😀
You might be able to find dried udon in an Asian grocers, particularly if you can find a Korean one.
And also, I just use either chicken stock or vegetable stock with a bit of mirin and soy. Tastes great
This lovely share makes me want to cook a bowl of curry udon tomorrow!
Hi Venice, make it today 😀 👍
This is a beautifully authentic recipe and is one of my absolute favorite Japanese noodle dishes.
I just got some thin sliced beef in my butcher box, I know what I’m making next now!
Yes Aimee 😀 it will be the curry udon 😀
Yum! Tried this yesterday! Super easy + tasty! 🙂 Thank you for the recipe!
You are welcome Coco 😀
Hi, I want to try this, but I’ve never seen udon soup sachets in my local asian market (I live in Austria), only dashi ones….what’s the difference? Or can I just use any broth instead?
Hi Jenni, Udon soup contains soy sauce and mirin. So if you can find instant dashi soup, make dashi soup by following the packet instruction and add 2tbsp soy sauce and 2tbsp mirin 😀
Thank you so much!
super tasty i love it!
I’m glad! Thank you 😀
Raining season and I need something light yet warm for dinner. I saw this recipe yesterday and I just mase it for the first time this evening. My husband loved it and he said it’a going to be a big hit if I sell it *LOL*
Didn’t have a chance to take a picture.
Thanka for this recipe.
I added minced portobello mushroom and carrots though.
Fantastic Rachael! You can replace the ingredients anything you fancy and minced portobello mushroom and carrots sounds delicious <3 It has been raining here in Brisbane too. I might have curry udon for dinner 😀