Cold Ramen (Hiyashi Chuka)

When summer hits and the weather becomes unbearably hot, we all want to eat something cold to refresh the body. In Japan, hiyashi chuka (chilled Chinese) is an incredibly popular cold ramen dish that everyone craves in summer. It’s not only easy to put together, it’s also packed with healthy veggies and protein to fill your belly in a nutritious way. My recipe is inspired by Namiko Chen’s recipe from Just One Cookbook. Instead of tomatoes, I added carrots because I love how they add crunch and sweetness to the dish. The original sauce is also much sweeter than mine. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, definitely add more sugar (but taste as you go!).

This can also be a vegetarian dish if you eliminate ham and/or eggs and add thin slices of firm tofu instead.

Ingredients:

Dressing

• 6 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 2.5 Tablespoons unrefined sugar (or to taste)
• 3 Tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ¼ teaspoon grated ginger

Toppings

• 1 ear of cooked corn, kernels sliced off
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks
• 1 Japanese cucumber, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks
• 4 slices of deli ham, cut into thin strips

Omelette

• 2 eggs, beaten
• Pinch of sugar
• Pinch of salt

Noodles

4 servings fresh ramen noodles (or frozen fresh Japanese ramen)

Additional Toppings (optional)

Dried seaweed, Japanese hot brown mustard, pickled red ginger, lightly toasted white sesame seeds.

Method:

Prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Cover with saren wrap and refrigerate it while you prepare the other ingredients. The sauce should be as cold as possible to optimize the deliciousness of the meal.

Prepare the vegetables and ham, set aside and chill in the refrigerator.

Heat up vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the beaten eggs and swirl it around so that it is thinly coated on the pan like a crepe. Wait for the underside to cook a little before carefully flipping it. Don’t worry if it breaks! Set aside to cool before rolling the omelette like a cigar and cutting thin ribbons out of it.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Throw in the noodles (if your noodles are frozen, there’s no need to defrost them prior to cooking). Boil for 1.5 or 2 minutes for al dente texture (taste to see what your preference is) and drain the noodles in a large sieve. Prepare a large bowl with ice and water and add your drained noodles into the bowl. When it’s properly cooled down, drain it over the sieve again and separate into 4 individual bowls.

Add the toppings and a few tablespoons of the sauce. If you want the noodles to be even colder, you may add an ice cube or two along with the ingredients (pro tip from my Japanese friend)!