Yakisoba: The Ultimate Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles Recipe

What is Yakisoba?

Yakisoba is a traditional Japanese stir-fried noodles dish. It is typically served as lunch at home because it is easy to cook and does not require any side dishes. Usually, Yakisoba is cooked with a lot of vegetables and meats, so it fills your stomach and is nourishingly balanced.

This is typical festival food too. If you go to festivals in Japan, you will see many food stands. In that, you can find Yakisoba stands. The smell of special sauce for Yakisoba reminds many Japanese people of festival and makes them feel festive and nostalgic.

Yakisoba is similar to Lo Mein, a Chinese noodles dish, but it is not as popular as Lo Mein in the US yet. I should be the one who contribute to elevate the status of Yakisoba in the US! So, let me share the recipe of Yakisoba.

Recipe

You can find a Yakisoba kit in a frozen foods section at Japanese or Asian grocery stores in the US. Usually, it comes with three noodle bags and three sauce mix packages in a plastic bag. Let’s start with looking for Yakisoba kit.

Once you find the kit, put it in the refrigerator to defrost and take it from the refrigerator and leave it until it gets room temperature. This way, noodles are softening, oil coating noodles melts and mixes evenly with noodles. Handling of noodles is the key when you cook Yakisoba.

For protein, thin sliced pork is common, but I like shrimp too. Basically, any protein and combination of proteins you like work. For vegetables, onion, cabbage, carrot, mushrooms, and beansprout are common, but you can add any vegetables you like.

<Ingredient>

• Yakisoba kit – 1
• Protein (pork, chicken, beef, shrimp etc.) – Quarter pound
• Vegetables (onion, cabbage, carrot, mushrooms, beansprout, etc.) – Quarter pound
• Oil – 1tbsp
• Water – 50cc

<Preparation>

1. Chop vegetables and protein.
2. Heat a frying pan and put oil.
3. Cook vegetables and protein about half done and put it in a bowl and set aside.
4. In the same frying pan (no need to wash), place noodles and pour water.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and wait until the noodles are steamed and loosen.
6. Stir fry 5 and add 3 in the frying pan.
7. Mix 6, add sauce mix packages, and mix again.

You can put some toppings like Oa-nori (green dried seaweed flakes) and Beni-shoga (pickled red ginger) if you like. Oa-nori smells so good when you sprinkle this on hot Yakisoba and it makes you hungry. Beni-shoga stands out in your eyesight when you put a little on Yakisoba, and Yakisoba looks great.

When You Have Extra Yakisoba

Yakisoba Pan is one of popular sandwiches in Japan. Typically sandwich rolls are used to make the sandwich. Omu Soba is another option. Make a thin omelet and roll Yakisoba in it. Also, Yakisoba makes a good lunch box!