My funny, curious, panda-loving daughter, Arya, is turning nine this week. So I wanted to write a recipe to celebrate her and some of her favourite things to eat. Arya adores the chewiness of udon, the bounciness of tofu, the sweet, sour saltiness of sweet soy and tamarind, the crunch of cabbage and she’d put chilli (in any form) over her breakfast cereal if she could (although it’s optional in this recipe). Happy birthday, Arya.
Arya’s birthday udon
This comes together quickly, so make sure you do all the prep first. You can use nearly all of a spring onion, so long as you wash it well. Slice the entire thing, put it in a bowl of water, swish well with a hand, then scoop out with a hand to drain; don’t strain it, so any dirt stays at the bottom of the bowl.
Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
1½ tsp tamarind paste
3 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp kecap manis
2 medium carrots (150g), julienned
200g sweetheart cabbage (AKA hispi), finely sliced
100g spring onions, trimmed, white and green parts finely sliced and rinsed
70g tbsp cornflour
¾ tsp Chinese five-spice
¾ tsp fine sea salt
450g extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 2cm x 2cm cubes – I like Tofoo
Rapeseed oil
400g straight-to-wok udon
100g beansprouts
50g roasted peanuts, chopped
Crispy chilli in oil – I like Lao Gan Ma (optional)
In a small bowl, mix the tamarind paste, light soy sauce and kecap manis with three tablespoons of water, to make a sauce. Put the carrots, cabbage and spring onion whites in a medium bowl, ready for the stir-fry.
Put the cornflour in a lipped bowl, mix with the five-spice and fine salt, then add the tofu cubes, in batches if need be, and toss to coat in the cornflour mix. Shake off any excess flour, then put the tofu on a plate by the hob.
Put four tablespoons of oil in a wide, nonstick frying pan on a medium heat and, when hot, add the tofu cubes and fry, turning often, until crisp and golden on all sides. Lift out with a slotted spoon and return to the plate.
Pour another two tablespoons of oil into the same frying pan, add the noodles and stir-fry according to the packet instructions. Transfer to a second plate.
Put a final two tablespoons of oil in the same frying pan, still on a medium heat. Add the sliced spring onion whites and most of the onion greens (reserve a handful for the garnish), add the carrot and cabbage, and stir-fry on a medium to high heat for two to four minutes, until wilted.
Add the beansprouts, cook for a further 30 seconds, then return the noodles and tofu to the pan and pour the bowl of sauce over the top. Toss gently, so everything gets coated and hot, then take off the heat.
Finish with the reserved spring onion greens and chopped peanuts, and serve immediately with the crispy chilli in oil, if using.
