Fishball noodle soup with seasoned tofu

I'm never been a massive fan of dashi, to be honest. Give me good old chicken stock or mushroom stock any day. But some Japanese recipes just seem to call for it. This quick and easy recipe makes a low-fat, high protein supper with enough green vegetables thrown in to keep your mom happy. If you're not a big fan of tofu, keep an open mind, as this cooking method floods each cube with oodles of sweet and salty flavour. They're quite moreish!

Recipe

Seasoned tofu
6 pieces deep fried tofu (available in the fridge or freezer section of Asian grocery stores)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp sugar
a few dried anchovies or shrimp (optional), finely chopped or crushed

Soup
4 cups dashi (make your own from bonito and kumbu, or buy instant dashi stock powder)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
udon noodles
small handful spring onions or scallions, sliced
half a head of lettuce (of your choice), cut into wedges
2 large handfuls of bean sprouts
1 sheet of tofu skin, cut into strips or squares (optional)
handful of fishballs or cooked seafood

First, make the seasoned tofu by combining the soy sauce, mirin, sugar and dried anchovies or shrimp (if using) in a saucepan with about a half a cup of water. Bring to a boil, stirring to ensure the sugar dissolves. Add the fried tofu and cook a few minutes, turning frequently, until the liquid has evaporated or been absorbed, and the tofu cubes have turned brown with the sauce. Set aside while you make the soup

For the soup, bring the dashi to a simmer with the soy sauce and mirin. Add the noodles (will likely take 6-7 minutes if dried, but refer to your package to be sure) and the scallions, then the fishballs, lettuce (will take 3-4 minutes) and finally the bean sprouts and tofu skin, if using (both only need a minute or two).

Top with the cubes of seasoned tofu.

Serves: 2
Preparation and cooking time: 12-15 minutes