Hiyashi Chuka is a cold version of ramen, just without the soup, replaced with a vinaigrette soy sauce dressing topped with toppings like sliced egg, cucumber, tomato, ham, carrot etc. Obviously, the toppings will vary to your liking. Don't like carrots? No problem! Add something else! This dish is eaten in the summer to help cool your body down while still feeling satisfied.
Like most japanese meals, there are various steps to making a complete dish. So let's start by making the dressing first!
Soy Sesame dressing
In a bowl, add 3tbsp of dashi stock, 2tbsp olive oil, 1tbsp sesame oil, 1 1/1 tbsp soy sauce, 1tbsp apple vinegar, a dash of white pepper & 1tsp crushed sesame seeds. Set aside Tip: Minus the dashi stock, this makes a quick, simple, healthy & delicious dressing for salads. I use this dressing for my salad for lunch everyday(I'm serious :D ) and I am never sick of it:) Switch it up by adding a teaspoon of miso in it! or some dried red pepper flakes.
Tamago - Egg, sliced
In a bowl, whisk 2 eggs thoroughly. In a separate small bowl, add 1/2tsp of cornstarch and a little bit of cold water and whisk until there are no clumps. This prevents from tearing the egg when cooking. Add this to the egg, along with 1 tsp of soy sauce, a dash of salt & pepper & sugar. Whisk thoroughly.
In a flat pan, turn heat to medium high, using a paper towel oiled with olive oil, coat the pan. Once the pan is hot, pour egg mixture and coat the pan, turn down the heat to medium low. Once the bottom of the egg is cooked, flip to cook the other side. Like so!
Turn off the heat and slide egg onto cutting board. Once cool enough to handle, roll it and slice. like so! and set aside.
Sesame Spinach
Rinse spinach thoroughly. In a pot of salted boiling water, add your spinach. Once the water reboils, your spinach turns a nice lovely green (about 3mins) turn off the heat and strain spinach. Squeeze out any excess water and place in a bowl. Add a tablespoon each of sesame oil and soy sauce, salt & pepper and stir. Crush some sesame seeds over top.
My other toppings included carrots, cucumbers and sweet corn.
Now that we have all the toppings I want ready, lets make the noodles! Prepare a bath of ice cold water with ice cubes and set aside.
For the noodles, choose any noodles you wish. I had this on hand. Cook noodles according to the instructions on the package.
Once cooked, strain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Do this several times until all the starch is washed out. After final rinse. Dunk the noodles into the cold ice bath water. Strain thoroughly.
Once strained. Add desired amount onto the bottom of a bowl.
Arrange your toppings nicely on top.
Looks like my bowl of piping hot ramen no? :D Now get the dressing we made earlier and whisk until the dressing is emulsified, nice and thick. and pour about 3-4tbsp of the dressing onto the noodles.
Mix and enjoy! The tart vinegary soy flavour will taste refreshing during the steamy hot summer months. :D
Like most japanese meals, there are various steps to making a complete dish. So let's start by making the dressing first!
Soy Sesame dressing
In a bowl, add 3tbsp of dashi stock, 2tbsp olive oil, 1tbsp sesame oil, 1 1/1 tbsp soy sauce, 1tbsp apple vinegar, a dash of white pepper & 1tsp crushed sesame seeds. Set aside Tip: Minus the dashi stock, this makes a quick, simple, healthy & delicious dressing for salads. I use this dressing for my salad for lunch everyday(I'm serious :D ) and I am never sick of it:) Switch it up by adding a teaspoon of miso in it! or some dried red pepper flakes.
Tamago - Egg, sliced
In a bowl, whisk 2 eggs thoroughly. In a separate small bowl, add 1/2tsp of cornstarch and a little bit of cold water and whisk until there are no clumps. This prevents from tearing the egg when cooking. Add this to the egg, along with 1 tsp of soy sauce, a dash of salt & pepper & sugar. Whisk thoroughly.
In a flat pan, turn heat to medium high, using a paper towel oiled with olive oil, coat the pan. Once the pan is hot, pour egg mixture and coat the pan, turn down the heat to medium low. Once the bottom of the egg is cooked, flip to cook the other side. Like so!
Turn off the heat and slide egg onto cutting board. Once cool enough to handle, roll it and slice. like so! and set aside.
Sesame Spinach
Rinse spinach thoroughly. In a pot of salted boiling water, add your spinach. Once the water reboils, your spinach turns a nice lovely green (about 3mins) turn off the heat and strain spinach. Squeeze out any excess water and place in a bowl. Add a tablespoon each of sesame oil and soy sauce, salt & pepper and stir. Crush some sesame seeds over top.
My other toppings included carrots, cucumbers and sweet corn.
Now that we have all the toppings I want ready, lets make the noodles! Prepare a bath of ice cold water with ice cubes and set aside.
For the noodles, choose any noodles you wish. I had this on hand. Cook noodles according to the instructions on the package.
Once cooked, strain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Do this several times until all the starch is washed out. After final rinse. Dunk the noodles into the cold ice bath water. Strain thoroughly.
Once strained. Add desired amount onto the bottom of a bowl.
Arrange your toppings nicely on top.
Looks like my bowl of piping hot ramen no? :D Now get the dressing we made earlier and whisk until the dressing is emulsified, nice and thick. and pour about 3-4tbsp of the dressing onto the noodles.
Mix and enjoy! The tart vinegary soy flavour will taste refreshing during the steamy hot summer months. :D
