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Rice Flour Udon with Chinese Sweet Bean Sauce

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This is a Japanese version of Chinese Zhajiangmian, noodles topped with sweet fermented soybean meat sauce. The noodles made with rice flour are moist with a mochi-like texture. The toasty addition of sesame in the dough gives it a wonderful aroma to this dish. The robust noodles bundled with spicy sauce and a soft boiled egg, known as onsen-tamago, complement each other perfectly.

Tips:

  • Use a hint of oil on your hands when kneading rice flour so that the dough will not be too sticky to handle.

  • Chinese sweet bean sauce and other Asian ingredients are available online or at Asian grocery stores. Chinese sweet bean sauce is similar to hoisin sauce.

  • All rice flour is naturally gluten-free. Make this dish completely gluten-free by using gluten-free substitutes for other ingredients as needed.

Yield:

4 servings

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Ingredients

For the noodles

¾ cup (140g) rice flour

¾ cup (140g) potato starch

3 tablespoons (30g) toasted white sesame seeds, ground

1½ cups (340ml) water

For the sauce

Sesame oil, for sautéing

3 tablespoons (45g) ginger, minced

2.8oz/80g ground pork

¼ cup (60g) bamboo shoots, chopped

1 cup (60g) shiitake mushrooms, chopped

3 tablespoons (60g) Chinese sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons (8g) sugar

2 teaspoons (13ml) light soy sauce

2 teaspoons (9ml) mirin

1¼ cups (300ml) Chinese dashi broth or chicken broth

2 tablespoons (20g) rice flour

2 tablespoons (30ml) water

For the topping

¼ (60g) English cucumber, julienned (about 1 cup)

4 soft boiled eggs

1 bunch green onions, only the white parts julienned (about 1 cup)

Sesame oil as needed

Directions

  1. For the noodles

    In a large bowl, mix rice flour, potato starch, sesame seeds, and water. Heat in a microwave oven for approximately 1 1/2 minutes.

  2. When the dough is firm, knead until soft. Tightly wrap in plastic and leave in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

  3. Unwrap the dough and place it in a heat-resistant bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of water, and heat in the microwave oven for 1 minute.

  4. Boil a large pot of water. Knead the dough gently. Dust the surface, and stretch the dough into 12 inch (30cm) length sheet with a rolling pin. Dust the dough and fold in 3 lengthwise. Cut the dough into 1/8 inch (3mm) wide slices.

  5. Boil the noodles for 30 seconds. Drain and set aside.

  6. For the sauce

    In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add sesame oil, ginger, and ground pork. Sauté until cooked thoroughly, then add bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms.

  7. Mix in the Chinese sweet bean sauce, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and the broth. Simmer for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix rice flour and water. Combine it with the sauce mixture. Continue to simmer until the sauce thickens.

  8. To serve, place noodles on a plate first. Over the noodles, sprinkle sesame oil, place cucumbers, a soft boiled egg, and the sauce. Top with julienned onions.

Note

  • This recipe uses US customary units. Measurement equivalents include: 1 teaspoon = 5ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, and 1 US cup = 237ml or 8fl oz. (1 metric cup = 250ml or 8.5fl oz.)
  • The cooking time using microwave oven in this recipe is based on 1,000W in the US.
  • The temperature and baking time may be different depending on the oven used. Please adjust accordingly.
  • All rice flour is naturally gluten-free. Make this dish completely gluten-free by using gluten-free substitutes for other ingredients as needed.