00:00If you're looking for a recipe that will transport you to a Japanese festival,
00:04then this modern street food style yakisoba is for you.
00:07You can also find this recipe on my website, along with over 400 Japanese recipes.
00:12Just google yakisoba space search to find me.
00:16I'll start by heating a large non-stick pan on medium and adding a drizzle of oil.
00:21Once it's nice and hot, add 140 grams of thinly sliced pork belly and 1 quarter of a thinly sliced
00:31onion. Season with a pinch of some pepper, then fry until the onion is soft and dark,
00:37and the pork is slightly crispy. The onion in this recipe plays a subtle but crucial role.
00:43It's meant to add depth in the background rather than steal the show.
00:47To achieve this, slice it very thin so it almost melts into the dish.
00:52Think of it as a sporting actor that enhances the oval flavour without being noticeable.
00:58If you don't eat pork, feel free to substitute your favourite protein,
01:03and if you want to add more vegetables, you can do so here.
01:07Things like carrots, bean sprouts, bell peppers, or mushrooms work well,
01:11but here's a crucial tip. Don't go overboard with vegetables, especially ones with a lot of water.
01:18Other than the onions, most vegetables in yakisoba should still have a bit of bite,
01:23so be careful not to overcook them. You might need to add some a bit later to avoid this.
01:29Make sure to use a high heat to cook them quickly.
01:33Low heat and cooking them slowly will create steam and make the vegetables limp and soggy.
01:39While this cooks, borrow a separate pot of water for your noodles.
01:43This recipe serves two, so I'm adding two portions of noodles.
01:48One great thing about using fresh noodles is you get to choose the thickness.
01:52I personally love my yakisoba with thicker noodles,
01:55which is why I went with Tsukemen style noodles this time.
02:00Cook ramen noodles are a little bit less than what it says on the package.
02:04A good rule of thumb is to subtract 10 seconds from every minute of the recommended cooking time.
02:11So if it says 1 minute, cook them for 50 seconds. If it says 5 minutes, aim for 4 minutes
02:17and 10 seconds.
02:18Whilst they're cooked, drain them and immediately rinse under cold water to get rid of excess starch
02:24and stop them from cooking further. This will prevent clumping during stir-frying.
02:30Then after you drain them, put them in a bowl and toss them with a bit of cooking oil.
02:35This coating keeps the noodles from getting soggy and clumping together.
02:47So I'm going to transfer them to a plate. You might think it's overcooked,
02:52but I recommend cooking the pork belly thoroughly for two reasons.
02:56It allows the fat to render properly and creates deliciously crispy pieces
03:00that improve the yakisoba's overall texture.
03:04I think the best yakisoba has that beautifully greasy finish, but you can always dab away the
03:09excess oil with a paper towel if you prefer a lighter, less oily version.
03:14By the way, if you're using a protein other than pork belly,
03:17keep in mind that they won't render as much fat during cooking. In that case,
03:21you'll need to add some cooking oil at this stage to compensate for the missing rendered fat.
03:26So now we're going to reuse the pan and add the noodles. The reason I chose a non-stick pan
03:32is
03:32because these noodles can easily be stuck to the bottom when you cook them.
03:36Frying the boiled noodles is so important that it's not just a tip, but one of the steps in my
03:42recipe.
03:43When you fry them, you get rid of some of the moisture. The oil makes the noodles a bit crispy,
03:49and that helps the sauce stick better. You end up with better flavour and texture,
03:55and overall a better yakisoba. In Japan, you can find special yakisoba noodles like this
04:00that you can use right out of the package. These noodles come pre-steamed and coated in oil.
04:06This means if you use these special noodles, there's no need to boil them.
04:11The noodles take a little while to crisp up, so in the meantime, let's make the sauce.
04:16Grab a small bowl and add one tablespoon of soy sauce, one tablespoon of oyster sauce,
04:23half tablespoon of bush soy sauce, half tablespoon of sake, one teaspoon of ketchup,
04:30half teaspoon of sugar, one teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, and quarter teaspoon of curry powder.
04:38Mix it well, and that's done.
04:40As always, all ingredients and exact measurements for this recipe can be found in the description box below.
04:50Once your noodles are nicely crispy, pour the sauce over them and mix until they're all coated.
04:56When I shared my first yakisoba recipe back in December 2020, I thought it was perfect,
05:03it was easy, accessible and authentic, but adding a bit of curry powder was a true eye-opener.
05:09Truth is, I didn't discover this curry powder trick. It's a trend that's been taken off among
05:15Japanese recipe developers recently. I saw my role as bringing these real-time Japanese cooking trends
05:21to you all. I was skeptical at first, but wow, it really does add an incredible depth of flavor.
05:29That's why I went back and added just a touch of curry powder to my original recipe.
05:35But remember, we're not trying to make curry flavored noodles here. Just a tiny bit is all you need.
05:41You don't need any more and you'll end up with a completely different dish.
05:46This is only to add hidden spiciness and any of your usual curry powder works.
05:51Once all the noodles are covered, push them to one side and add the reserved pork and onions,
05:58along with 50 grams of cabbage. If you like your cabbage crunchy,
06:02pair it into rough pieces by hand and add it directly to the dish.
06:07If you prefer tender cabbage, just steam it in the microwave beforehand.
06:12This way you can customize the texture to your liking.
06:15As you might be able to tell from its appearance,
06:17Yakisoba is Japan's take on Chinese Charmaine.
06:20Since its creation in the 1930s, it's become deeply woven into Japanese life.
06:26You'll find it everywhere from family lunches to festival stalls,
06:30school sports days and cherry blossom viewing parties.
06:34Japan has countless styles of Yakisoba with different regions putting their own spin on
06:39sauces and ingredients. There are actually over 50 regional variations.
06:44My sauce recipe here is optimized to my liking with a bit of modern take,
06:49using less washisho sauce than nostalgic versions.
06:53Once you've tried this base, feel free to adjust the flavors and ingredients to make it your own.
06:59Once everything is evenly mixed and cooked, take the pan off the heat and serve up.
07:05Next, we'll add some garnishes. I'm using katsuobushi, anori powder,
07:10and some red pickled ginger called benishoga.
07:13Each element adds to the authentic Japanese flavor.
07:17I always thought sprinkling bonito flakes was standard practice since that's how I grew up in my area.
07:23Turns out, lots of people don't do this at all, but honestly, I still think bonito flakes make yakisoba taste
07:30so much better, so give it a shot and see for yourself. Anyway, that's it, Japanese yakisoba,
07:36one of my all-time favorite street food dishes.
07:39Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
07:46Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time, and if you're ready to cook,
07:50grab the written instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up
07:54on your screen. There we go, the link to the full recipe is on the screen now, and if you
08:00want
08:00to watch more similar videos, don't miss my street food playlist pop up on your screen as well.
08:05Thanks so much for watching, and I hope to see you in the next one. Bye!
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