Name: Ramen Kumamotos Karaage Curry Udon Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 500 g boneless chicken thighs; 2 tbs fresh ginger (grated); 1 tsp garlic (grated); 3 tbs soy sauce; 1 tbs mirin; 1 tbs sake (or dry white wine); 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 80 g potato starch (or cornstarch); 40 g all-purpose flour; 2 tbs cold water; 800 ml neutral oil for frying; 80 g Japanese curry roux (broken into pieces); 900 ml dashi stock (or low-sodium chicken stock); 1 pc onion (medium, thinly sliced); 1 pc carrot (small, thinly sliced); 1 tbs light soy sauce; 1 tbs mirin (for broth); 0.5 tsp sugar; 1 tsp vegetable oil; 400 g fresh or frozen udon noodles; 2 pc aburaage (fried tofu skin), halved lengthwise; 4 pc kamaboko (fish cake), sliced; 3 stalks green onions (thinly sliced); 2 tbs pickled red ginger (beni shoga); 1 tsp shichimi togarashi (optional)

Method

Karaage (Japanese fried chicken)

Prepare and marinate chicken

Cut the boneless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cm). In a bowl combine grated ginger, grated garlic, soy sauce, mirin, sake, salt, and pepper. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for 20–30 minutes (up to 1 hour).

Make light batter/dust

Mix potato starch and all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl. Add 2 tablespoons cold water to the marinade if the chicken surface seems dry to help the starch/flour stick — the goal is a thin, even coating rather than a thick batter.

Fry the chicken

Heat oil in a deep pot or fryer to 170°C (340°F). Working in batches to avoid crowding, dredge each marinated piece in the starch/flour mixture, shaking off excess. Fry for 4–5 minutes until golden and cooked through, turning once. Remove to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain. For extra-crisp texture, increase oil to 180°C (356°F) for 30–60 seconds at the end of each batch (double-fry). Keep warm while finishing broth and noodles.

Curry broth

Sauté aromatics

Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onion and carrot and sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent.

Simmer with stock

Add 900 ml dashi (or chicken) stock to the pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes to meld flavors and soften the carrot further.

Add curry roux and season

Lower heat to low, add the broken curry roux pieces to the pot, stirring until completely dissolved and the broth thickens to a saucy consistency. Stir in 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning (a pinch of salt or a touch more soy if needed). Keep the broth at a gentle simmer on very low heat; it should be pourable but coat a spoon.

Udon & accompaniments

Prepare udon

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add udon noodles and cook according to package instructions (usually 2–4 minutes for fresh, 5–8 minutes for frozen), stirring occasionally. Drain and briefly rinse under warm running water to loosen and remove excess starch. Divide noodles between serving bowls (4 bowls).

Heat aburaage and kamaboko

If aburaage is not pre-seasoned, briefly simmer the halved aburaage in the curry broth for 1–2 minutes to warm and soak up flavor, then set on top of noodles. Warm kamaboko slices in the broth for 30 seconds and arrange on the noodles.

Assemble bowls

Ladle hot curry broth over the udon noodles in each bowl, dividing evenly. Top each bowl with several pieces of hot karaage (2–3 pieces per serving depending on size), a piece of aburaage, a couple slices of kamaboko, and scatter sliced green onions. Garnish with pickled red ginger and a light sprinkle of shichimi togarashi if using.

Serve

Serve immediately while hot. Provide extra pickled ginger and shichimi at the table. Leftover karaage can be served on the side to maintain crispness.