Name: Somen Chanpuru (Stir-fried Somen Noodles)
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Japanese Cuisine
Ingredients: 1/4 Onion; 1/3 bunch Chives; 1/2 can Tuna; 1 serving Somen Noodles (2 bundles/100g); [A] 1/2 tsp Chicken Bouillon Powder; [A] 1 tsp Soy Sauce; [A] 1 tbsp Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine); Salt (to taste); Bonito Flakes (Katsuobushi) (generous amount for topping)

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Original: English

Somen Chanpuru (Stir-fried Somen Noodles)

by 食事処さくらの料理教室

This is the ultimate basic recipe for Somen Chanpuru that prevents it from becoming mushy. We'll thoroughly explain how to cook the noodles for a perfectly chewy texture and the key points for stir-frying. Follow these tips, and anyone can make delicious Somen Chanpuru that stays tasty even after a while.

Ingredients

Scale:

Main Ingredients (1 serving)

1/4 Onion
1/3 bunch Chives
1/2 can Tuna
1 serving Somen Noodles (2 bundles/100g)

Seasonings

[A] 1/2 tsp Chicken Bouillon Powder
[A] 1 tsp Soy Sauce
[A] 1 tbsp Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine)
Salt (to taste)
Bonito Flakes (Katsuobushi) (generous amount for topping)

Steps

Remove the root of 1/4 onion by making a cut. [Key Point!] If the root remains, the onion won't fall apart when stir-fried, so make sure to remove it.
🕒 00:28
Cut the onion (with the root removed) into 5mm wide pieces, making two cuts to avoid making it too wide. [Key Point!] Cut thinly for even cooking when stir-frying.
🕒 00:52
Finely chop the thick, root end of 1/3 bunch of chives. [Key Point!] The roots take longer to cook, so chop them finely so they cook at the same rate as the leaves.
🕒 01:32
Roughly chop the leafy parts of the chives into 5cm lengths. If they are long, cut them in half first, then stack and cut.
🕒 01:51
Take out half of the oil from the canned tuna and prepare it. [Key Point!] Use the oil as well; it's important. Bacon or chikuwa can be substituted.
🕒 02:19
In a bowl, combine 1/2 tsp Chicken Bouillon Powder, 1 tsp Soy Sauce, and 1 tbsp Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine). Mix briefly to create the sauce mixture.
🕒 02:45
Boil water in a pot and prepare a colander for draining and a 1-minute timer. [Key Point!] Simply reheating with a microwave or hot water will not result in chewy noodles and can make them sticky when stir-fried. Always boil in boiling water.
🕒 03:15
Once the water is boiling, add 1 serving Somen Noodles (2 bundles/100g) and boil for 1 minute. [Key Point!] Boiling for more than 1 minute will lose its chewiness, and boiling for too short a time won't result in a chewy texture. 1 minute is the best.
🕒 04:35
Quickly drain the boiled somen noodles in a colander, rinse them briefly under cold running water to cool them down, and thoroughly rub them. [Key Point!] The starch on the noodle surface can cause stickiness when stir-fried, so wash them more thoroughly than you think.
🕒 04:51
Once the somen noodles are washed, tilt the colander to drain the water until it no longer drips. You don't need to squeeze them tightly or wipe them with paper.
🕒 05:28
Roughly rinse the pot used to boil the somen noodles to remove any remaining starch.
🕒 05:01
Heat the pot over medium-low heat. Once a small amount of oil is warm, add the cut onion and stir-fry. [Key Point!] If the root was properly removed, it will easily come apart.
🕒 05:51
Add a pinch of salt to the onion and stir-fry briefly until it becomes slightly translucent. [Key Point!] Be careful, as thick pieces of onion can burn before they are cooked through.
🕒 06:11
Once the onion is translucent, turn off the heat. Add the somen noodles and half of the canned tuna (with the oil). Mix to coat the noodles with the tuna oil. [Key Point!] It's important not to overcook the noodles. Think of it as 'warming' rather than 'stir-frying'. Turning off the heat retains the chewiness and prevents stickiness.
🕒 06:30
Add the prepared sauce mixture to the pot and mix thoroughly to ensure it coats everything evenly. [Key Point!] Stir-frying while mixing makes it difficult to combine evenly, so ensure it's well coated beforehand.
🕒 07:03
Add the cut chives and turn the heat back on to medium-low. Warm the noodles again. [Key Point!] Chives lose their texture if overcooked, so just warming them is enough. They will cook through from the residual heat.
🕒 07:13
It's done when everything is heated through. About 30 seconds to 1 minute is sufficient. Stir-frying any longer will make the noodles mushy.
🕒 07:39
Plate the dish and sprinkle generously with bonito flakes. [Key Point!] Think of bonito flakes not just as a garnish but as a seasoning. They are essential for Somen Chanpuru.
🕒 08:11