Spring Bliss: Aromatic Stir-Fried Udon with Wild Chives
Try This Spring Delight! Stir-Fried Udon with Wild Chives and Savory Wild Chive Butter Rice
Hello everyone! Today, I’m sharing a special recipe to welcome spring. We’ll be making ‘Stir-Fried Udon with Wild Chives’ and ‘Wild Chive Butter Rice’, using the freshest seasonal ingredient: wild chives (dal-rae). Don’t overthink what to cook with this fragrant spring vegetable – just follow along with this recipe! I promise you’ll be eager to buy dal-rae and make it yourself. Stay with me, and I’ll present you with an even more delicious flavor!
Aromatic Stir-Fried Udon with Wild Chives
- 1 serving Udon noodles
- 1 handful Fresh Wild Chives (approx. 50g)
- 1/4 Zucchini (approx. 50g)
- 3-4 slices Carrot (approx. 30g)
- 1/2 Onion (approx. 70g)
- 1/2 can Spam (approx. 100g)
- 3-5 Cocktail shrimp (adjust to your preference)
- 2 Korean green chili peppers (if you like it spicy)
- A drizzle of sesame oil (for finishing aroma)
Wild Chive Stir-Fry Sauce
- 1/2 cup Water (100ml)
- 3 Tbsp Bonito Dashi Soy Sauce (or Tsuyu)
- 1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sugar (adjust sweetness to taste)
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 4 grinds Black Pepper (for a touch of zest)
Rice Stealer! Wild Chive Butter Rice
- 1 bowl Warm Rice
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- Wild Chive Soy Sauce (to taste)
Perfect Ratio! Wild Chive Soy Sauce
- 1 cup Water (200ml)
- 1.5 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, for spiciness)
- 1/3 cup Mirin (70ml)
- 1/3 cup Guk-ganjang (Korean soup soy sauce, 70ml)
- 0.5 cup Jin-ganjang (Korean regular soy sauce, 100ml)
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 handful Finely Chopped Fresh Wild Chives (approx. 30g)
- 1/2 cup Water (100ml)
- 3 Tbsp Bonito Dashi Soy Sauce (or Tsuyu)
- 1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sugar (adjust sweetness to taste)
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 4 grinds Black Pepper (for a touch of zest)
Rice Stealer! Wild Chive Butter Rice
- 1 bowl Warm Rice
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- Wild Chive Soy Sauce (to taste)
Perfect Ratio! Wild Chive Soy Sauce
- 1 cup Water (200ml)
- 1.5 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, for spiciness)
- 1/3 cup Mirin (70ml)
- 1/3 cup Guk-ganjang (Korean soup soy sauce, 70ml)
- 0.5 cup Jin-ganjang (Korean regular soy sauce, 100ml)
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 handful Finely Chopped Fresh Wild Chives (approx. 30g)
- 1 cup Water (200ml)
- 1.5 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, for spiciness)
- 1/3 cup Mirin (70ml)
- 1/3 cup Guk-ganjang (Korean soup soy sauce, 70ml)
- 0.5 cup Jin-ganjang (Korean regular soy sauce, 100ml)
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 handful Finely Chopped Fresh Wild Chives (approx. 30g)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
1. Preparing the fragrant wild chives: First, trim off the dark root ends of the wild chives. Rinse the remaining roots thoroughly as we’ll be using them. Finely chop the roots to add aroma, and cut the stems into lengths of about 4-5 cm. This preparation method allows you to enjoy both the texture and the fragrance.
Step 2
2. Preparing vegetables, Spam, and shrimp: Let’s get the other ingredients ready. Slice the zucchini into about 0.5cm thick rounds and cut each round into 4 wedges. Thinly slice the carrot into matchsticks. Thinly slice the onion. Cut the Spam into rectangular pieces, about 0.6-0.7cm thick. Slice the green chilies diagonally. If using cocktail shrimp, thaw and rinse them.
Step 3
3. Pre-cook the udon noodles: Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the udon noodles for about 3-5 minutes. To maintain a chewy texture when stir-frying, drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water. Drain well.
Step 4
4. Flavor boost! Sautéing wild chives and Spam: Heat a little oil in a pan. Add the chopped wild chive roots and the sliced Spam. Sauté until the Spam starts to render its fat and becomes fragrant, mingling with the aroma of the wild chives.
Step 5
5. Stir-frying vegetables in order: Once the Spam begins to brown, add the carrots and stir-fry until they soften slightly. Then, add the onion and zucchini and continue to sauté for about 2-3 minutes. When the vegetables start to look translucent, add all the sauce ingredients (water, bonito dashi soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and pepper) and stir-fry everything together.
Step 6
6. Final stir-fry and aromatic finish: When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, add the cocktail shrimp and the pre-cooked udon noodles. Stir-fry together for about 2 minutes, ensuring the noodles are coated with the sauce. Finally, add the chopped wild chive stems and stir-fry for another minute. Turn off the heat, then drizzle a circle of sesame oil around the pan for an extra layer of fragrance. Your delicious stir-fried udon with wild chives is now complete!
Step 7
1. Fried egg for the savory wild chive butter rice: Prepare a fried egg, either sunny-side up or cooked through, to your preference, to top the wild chive butter rice.
Step 8
2. The glorious union of rice, butter, and wild chive soy sauce: In a bowl of warm rice, add 1 tablespoon of butter and mix well, ensuring it coats the rice grains. The melting butter will add a rich, nutty flavor. Season the rice with the prepared wild chive soy sauce to your taste. Mix everything together, and get ready to enjoy!
Step 9
3. A feast for the eyes and the palate! Plating: Place the butter rice into a serving bowl. Top it with the perfectly cooked fried egg. All preparations are now complete! Enjoy your delicious spring-scented stir-fried udon with wild chives and the incredibly tasty wild chive butter rice!