Abura Zomen (油そうめん) is Somen noodles stir-fried with meat and vegetables. It is a Japanese southern island regional food, but there are no hard-to-get ingredients or difficult steps in the recipe. This easy-to-make but tasty noodle dish will appeal to a lot of people from the young to the old.
Abura Zomen is originally from the southern Amami islands of Kagoshima, Kyushu. The name means “Oil Somen noodle,” but it’s not greasy at all. It uses a not insignificant amount of water, or Dashi stock if you prefer, in the process of making fried noodles, so it may really be more braising than stir-frying. The water and oil emulsify along the way, and it becomes like a thin sauce for the noodles.
What makes Abura Zomen more “Amamian” than ordinary stir-fried Somen is using dried baby anchovies. Dried anchovies are generally used for making Dashi stock, not for eating themselves (there are of course some dishes that use them), but here they are one of the stir-fry ingredients and give a deep Umami flavor to the dish. Even though other meat and vegetables are more flexible, it seems like pork, cabbage and carrot are staple items for the dish. That said, you still can substitute other meats like chicken and beef, or vegetables like broccoli and brown onions.
Some people may suspect the dish will be too fishy because of the dried anchovies, but don’t worry, it’s not fishy at all. They become part of the whole flavor, not standing out or overpowering. If you happen to have real dried Iriko anchovy, remove the guts before using to avoid a bitter flavor to the dish.
If you are curious how Japanese island people eat, or you simply like noodle dishes, try this one. You’ll enjoy simple but delicious Somen at home without traveling.
Abura Zomen (Stir-fried Somen Noodle) Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 bunches dried Somen noodles
- 1/2 bunch NIra Chinese chives
- 1 small carrot
- 3 green onions
- 1 clove garlic
- 5 oz 150 g pork, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp dried baby anchovies
- 1/2 cup 120 ml water
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sake
- 1/2 tsp salt
- white pepper
Instructions
- Cook dried Somen noodles according to the package. Set aside.
- Cut Nira chives into 2″ (5 cm) long pieces. Cut carrot into match sticks. Slice green onions diagonally and thinly. Mince garlic. Cut sliced pork into bite-size pieces.
- Heat a frying pan with sesame oil and dried baby anchovies for a minute. Add minced garlic and pork, and cook for another minute. Add vegetables and stir-fry a couple of minutes, add water and seasonings (Soy Sauce, Sake, salt, white pepper), cover, and cook for another couple of minutes. Then add cooked noodles and mix with meat and vegetables. Add more salt and pepper to taste if you like.
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