Fill your cravings with this delicious and easy-to-follow Curry Udon Recipe! Enjoy an inviting combination of chewy udon noodles in a flavorful curry soup.
Transform leftover curry sauce into a delicious noodle dish in just 10 minutes! This Japanese classic is simple but satisfying and the perfect busy weeknight meal. Enjoy a hearty broth of homemade Curry Udon tonight!
- This recipe is for you if:
- You love Japanese udon noodles.
- You are looking for curry udon recipe.
- You want to use leftover curry.
Let me walk you through the ingredients and the instructions. If you want to check the recipe, jump to the recipe. Let's get started!
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About This Recipe
- Japanese curry udon recipe
- Hot udon noodle soup
- Use leftover curry
- Use homemade mentsuyu (soup base)
📋 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).
- Udon noodles: Dried, fresh, or frozen udon noodles are available at grocery stores. I use frozen udon noodles in this recipe.
- Japanese curry: I use leftover curry in this recipe. Check my easy vegetable curry recipe if you will make it from scratch.
- Mentsuyu: It's a multipurpose noodle soup base with a savory flavor made from dashi broth (Japanese soup stock), mirin, and soy sauce. Use store-bought mentsuyu to save time.
- Toppings: I picked scallions, which is a classic topping for noodle dishes (you can find the topping variations below)
See more details for each in the following.
Udon Noodles
Udon noodles, the classic Japanese noodle made with wheat flour, salt, potato starch, and water, are a staple of Japanese cuisine. These thick and white noodles have a chewy texture and can be enjoyed both hot and cold.
At a store, you can find dried, frozen, or fresh udon noodles. Frozen noodles are my go-to - they're handy to stock in your freezer.
Learn more about udon noodles in "What are Japanese udon noodles: A Beginner's Guide"
Japanese Curry
Japanese curry rice is a popular comfort food. Its creamy texture and deliciously mild flavor pair well with fluffy steamed rice.
I often make it as my kids love it, and curry udon is the perfect way to use up the leftovers. You can also use the frozen stock you prepared in advance or follow my easy vegetable curry recipe to start from scratch.
Japanese Curry Roux
When making Japanese curry, store-bought curry roux is a must-have. It's the soup mix and essential ingredient as it determines the taste. They are cubes and easy to use by putting them in a pot and dissolving them.
You can choose the mild, medium hot, and hot spice levels. Japanese curry is not as spicy as Indian or Thai curry overall.
Mentsuyu (Noodle soup base)
Mentsuyu is a noodle soup base and the essential flavor for various Japanese dishes. I make it from scratch with homemade dashi stock. How to make it is simple, like making kombu dashi (kelp), adding katsuobushi (bonito flakes), soy sauce, and mirin.
If making dashi is too much work, use instant dashi powder instead. It always saves you time.
Also, if you like the quick way, store-bought mentsuyu is your choice. Just dilute with water according to the bottle directions.
Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients
If you live in the US, you can find Japanese ingredients in the list below.
- Japanese market: Mitsuwa Marketplace, Marukai
- Asian market
- Whole Foods Market
- Health food stores
- Online stores: Instacart, Walmart, Amazon
🔪Instructions
Let me show you how to make it! Click here to watch the recipe video.
- Prepare toppings. I picked green onions (scallions) in this recipe.
- Cook udon noodles according to the package instructions (a couple of minutes for frozen ones).
- Drain and quickly rinse under running cold water to remove the extra starch.
- Make curry soup. Add leftover curry, mentsuyu, and water, and warm it over medium heat.
- Serve the noodles in a bowl, and pour the soup.
- Place the toppings.
Here you go! Once it's served, please eat immediately. Otherwise, the udon noodle soaks up the soup and becomes soggy.
If you like a little spice, sprinkle with shichimi togarashi (Japanese spice mix) and enjoy!
Helpful Tips
- If the curry soup is too salty, dilute it with water. If it's too light, add more curry or mentsuyu.
- Udon noodle cooking time - a couple of minutes for frozen ones. 10 minutes or more for fresh and dried ones.
- Try various toppings from the "Topping variations" below.
- If you use store-bought mentsuyu, follow the instructions on the package. How much water to add depends on the product.
Vegan Adaptable
Mentsuyu is not vegan-friendly as it's made from katsuobushi (bonito flakes). But you can easily substitute it with dried shiitake mushrooms. Click here for a vegan dashi recipe.
Topping Variations
Looking for delicious topping variations? Here are my favorite ones:
- A half-boiled egg is a delicious addition to curry udon.
- Green leafy vegetables - spinach, bok choy, and mizuna
- Cheese - pick your favorite cheese and savor the deliciously melted texture.
- Kamaboko is a fish cake and a classic topping for udon noodle dishes.
- Green onions - or scallions, spring onions, and long onion
- Tempura - Try crunchy shrimp or vegetable tempura for an additional treat.
8 Easy Japanese Udon Recipes
Satisfy those udon cravings! You will love these flavorful Japanese udon noodle recipes. From hot soups to refreshing cold dishes, there are many ways to enjoy these chewy noodles!
Thanks For Stopping By!
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡. If you've tried this recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!
Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!
Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.
More Udon Dishes You Might Like
📖 Recipe
Easy Japanese Curry Udon Recipe
Print Pin SaveEquipment
- 1 Medium saucepan 18 cm/7 inches
- 1 Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 packs Udon noodles, aprox 360g
- 300 ml Leftover Japanese Curry, 300g
- 300 ml Homeade mentsuyu, or store-bought mentsuyu
- 100 ml Water
- 1 inch Scallions (green onions), 2.5cm, chop
Instructions
- Chop scallions.
- Cook udon noodles: Boil plenty of water (not in the ingredients list) in a medium saucepan, add udon noodles, and cook according to the package instructions. Stir the noodles with chopsticks to separate them while cooking.
- Drain the noodles: Drain using a strainer and quickly rinse under running cold water to remove the extra starch.
- Curry soup: Put leftover curry, mentsuyu and water in the same saucepan and warm it up.
- Serve: Serve the drained noodles in a bowl, pour the soup, and place the scallions on top.
Video
Notes
- If the curry soup is too salty, dilute it with water. If it's too light, add more mentsuyu or leftover curry.
- Udon noodle cooking time - a couple of minutes for frozen ones. 10 minutes or more for fresh and dried ones.
- Try various toppings from the "Topping variations" section.
- If you use store-bought mentsuyu, follow the instruction on the package. How much water to add depends on the product.
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