How to make Totoro Soba Noodles

I came across this idea on @iamafoodblog’s post and cannot look at these photos without feeling overwhelming happy on the inside. These Totoro’s were eaten with most reluctance and they were a ton of fun to make. If you’re hosting, it’s a great way to entertain your guests by handing them a pair of scissors, a nori sheet, a slab of mozzarella cheese and setting them to work.

I love the simplicity of Japanese recipes made with few but good ingredients. These soba noodles take less than six ingredients to put together but are so satisfying and light. Paired with ramen egg — it’s going to be a repeat meal in my kitchen.

Totoro Soba Noodles

You will need:

Noodles/Totoro Body:
Buckwheat soba noodles
White somen noodles
Sliced mozzarella cheese (for eyes)
Nori sheet

Dashi sauce:
Green onions, sliced
Dashi powder 1 tbsp ( i use Hondashi, found in T&T)
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Water 1/4 cup
Mirin, 1 tsp
Sesame oil, to taste

1. Prep the Totoro eyes, nose, whiskers.

2. Cook noodles. Follow cooking instructions on the package or here.

Somen: Bring 6 cups of water to boil. Throw in a bundle of noodles, stir and set the timer for 3 minutes. Taste test them for doneness. Drain hot water with a strainer and rinse repeatedly under cold water until the water runs clear. This will prevent your noodles from sticking together.

Buckwheat soba: Same instructions as somen but set the timer for 6 minutes.

3. Combine and stir dashi powder, soy sauce, water and mirin in a bowl. Taste for flavour. The sauce should be very salty.

4. Form Totoro body with buckwheat noodles, using white somen for the abdomen, cheese for eyes and nori to top.

5. To serve: drizzle dashi sauce over noodles. Add a sprinkle of sesame oil, sesame seeds. Garnish with green onions. Serve with a ramen egg if you have one on hand. Enjoy.

If you have a lot of time on your hands, here is an old recipe for Totoro Rice cakes.

Miso Soup with Yu Choy and Dashi Stock

I bought a bag of shiitake mushrooms for vegetarian dumplings the other day and was left with an abundance of dried mushrooms. I have never cooked with shiitake mushrooms till recent and they remind me of street food in Taiwan and a lot of my mother’s cooking.

I remember savouring these explosions of flavour in chicken broths, in the mountains of fried rice noodles grandmother would make when we visit, and in the sticky rice steamed in bamboo leaves during festivals. I also remember being made fun of in elementary school because my classmates told me they looked like tiny slugs. Not to be deceived by looks — these mushrooms are essential to Asian cuisine and can be found in hot pots, stir fry and everything savoury. Something I proudly stock in my pantry nowadays.

Here is a recipe for miso soup using a very simple dashi stock. The watermelon radish serves more as a garnish but adds such a beautiful touch.

My apologies in advance for the abstractness of this recipe, I hope you taste as you go and refrain from taking too many photos as I’ve let food burn in the process. I enjoy serving this soup as an attractive appetizer or for evenings when I want something light and warm. For friends or myself.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Dashi stock
5–6 Dried shiitake mushrooms
Handful of dried kombu (2-3 slices or half a cup if they are sliced)

1. Lightly rinse shiitake mushrooms. Do not wash kombu as the white residue adds flavour. Wipe kombu with a paper towel if you wish.

2. Fill a jar with two cups of water, soak the mushrooms and kombu. Seal and let sit for a few hours or overnight. The stock keeps well so you can make it a few days in advance

Miso Soup
Medium-firm tofu, one package, cut into blocks
Handful of baby yu choy
Miso paste, 3-4 tablespoons
Ginger, 2 slices
Soy sauce, to taste
Watermelon radish, sliced as thin as possible (use a mandolin)
Coriander or arugula, for garnish

Instructions

1. Remove mushrooms from slice into pieces. Discard the stem if you find them tough. Wash baby yu choy and chop into 2-inch pieces. Save some of the flowering tops for garnish. Cut tofu into small squares.

2. Heat the dashi stock and ginger in a pot till it comes to a simmer. Add miso paste and stir to taste. Add tofu to the pot until it boils. Taste the soup, add a few drops of soy sauce if it needs more flavour. Stir yu choy stems in till it comes to a boil again. Add the leafy parts to the soup at the last possible minute.

3. Garnish with sliced radish and coriander. Serve immediately.

Notes: I have found that arugula is a fantastic addition to miso soup. Feel free to substitute baby yu choy with other greens. I have started adding dried anchovies to the soup though the additional taste of fish may not be for everyone.