True to their name, the Sanuki plains are flat with no mountains nor any high-rise buildings.

This time we will introduce Uchikomi Udon noodles, a simple regional dish befitting of Kagawa prefecture. 

Uchikomi udon noodles is a dish that was once eaten by the whole family during breaks between field work. The dish is very similar to “Houtou” from Yamanashi prefecture, but as the broth is made with dried sardines, its distinct flavor belongs to Kagawa prefecture. 

=============☆ Instructions for Making Uchikomi Udon☆==============

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

Noodles:
・All-purpose flour: 300g
・Water: 150cc (or ml)

Toppings:
・Daikon radish  1/4
・Taro: 10 pcs
・Great burdock: 1/2
・Carrot: 1/2
・Pumpkin: 1/4
・Abura age (fried tofu): 1 pcs
・Pork: 150g
・Green onions: 1 bundle

Broth, seasonings:
・Dried sardines: 30g

・Water: 1200cc (or ml)
・Combined miso paste: 4 tbls (You can use soy sauce instead of miso)

Instructions:

1) Measure the all-purpose flour into a bowl, and add in the water a little at a time while mixing with your hand. Once the dough comes together into a cohesive ball (from being dry and crumbly), knead it around 20 times and then put it aside for 1-2 hours.

If you have a hard time kneading the dough by hand, put it in a clean plastic bag and knead it by stepping on it.

2) Make the sardine broth base by boiling the dried sardines for a while and then removing them from the water. Cut the toppings into bite-sized pieces. (part-boil the burdock and soak the fried tofu in lukewarm water for a while.) 

This time I used an entire sardine without removing the head or innards. (Please note that if you boil it too long the broth will become bitter.)

3) Spread some flour on a wide table, and roll out the dough into a thickness of around 3mm.

4) Fold the dough into thirds one on top of another and cut it thinly. 

5) Bring the broth to a boil and add the vegetables and fried tofu. After the vegetables have softened a bit, add the noodles and pork, and let it all boil for around 10 minutes. Lastly, add the green onions, turn off the heat and season with the miso. 

And it’s ready! Enjoy it while it’s hot! 

Hot, soft, chewy… The soup has become thicker with the wheat flour and miso and it tangles well into the chewy noodles. With the hearty amount of toppings, I’m stuffed!

This time we introduced a recipe you can try at home, but if you’d like to try it at a restaurant, check a great place out here:

https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/3445

Good when you want to relax at home, and delicious at the eatery, Uchikomi udon noodles warm up both the body and mind! Do have a try!

Setouchi Finder Photo-writer: Izumi Furukawa