Hiyashi Tanuki Udon is cold Udon noodles with a cold sauce and Tenkasu, fried Tempura batter crumbs. It is very refreshing but also satisfyingly rich from the Tempura crumbs. Hiyashi Tanuki Udon is a great dish during summer when you don’t want to make complicated dishes in a hot kitchen. If you have your Mentsuyu (a multi-purpose sauce) and Tenkasu handy (especially in a bag), the hardest part of the cooking is done.
“Tanuki” literally means raccoon dog which is an animal found in Japan and a popular character in stories and culture. One theory is that Tanuki Udon was named as a counterpart for another Udon dish – Kitsune Udon. “Kitsune” means fox, but we don’t quite know why somebody wanted to give symmetrical animal names to Udon dishes. Another idea is that “tanuki (tane-nuki)” sounds kind of like “ingredients removed” in Japanese. Since Tenkasu doesn’t have any vegetables or shrimp like regular Tempura but is only crumbs, the dish may have been named this way. Either way, the “hiyashi” part is easy. It just means cold. Cold Tanuki Udon is a great refreshing dish during a hot and humid summer.
It is a very easy dish to make for lunch, but also dinner when you don’t feel like cooking and eating a hot dish. Salads are another good summer food, but they can be too light sometimes. When you feel like salads can not give quite enough energy, this yummy cold dish will. Try it today!
Hiyashi Tanuki Udon
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Ingredients
- 2 packages frozen Udon or 2 servings dried
- 1-2 green onions
- 1 sheet Nori
- 6 Tbsp Tenkasu fried Tempura batter
- 1/3 cup Mentsuyu sauce
- 2/3 cup cold water
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cook Udon according to the package. Wash in running cold water, strain well, and keep refrigerated.
- Slice green onions thinly. Tear Nori into small pieces. Mix Mentsuyu and cold water in a bowl and set aside.
- Place cold noodles in a serving bowl, top with Tenkasu, green onions, and Nori, and pour the Mentsuyu mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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