O Yakisoba é um prato de massa salteada incrivelmente popular no Japão, famoso pelo seu molho agridoce e pela versatilidade dos seus ingredientes. Esta versão caseira captura a essência deste clássico de “street food”, combinando carne tenra, legumes crocantes e um molho delicioso que envolve tudo na perfeição. É uma refeição rápida, satisfatória e cheia de sabor.

Ingredientes

  • 250 g de macarrão oriental cozido al dente
  • Carne picadinha (usei mignon), frita com um pouco de sal
  • Legumes cozidos al dente: brócolis, couve-flor, cenoura em tiras
  • Cebola em cubos
  • Cogumelos (usei palmito)

Para o molho:

  • 3 ½ xícaras de água
  • 2 colheres de sopa de maizena (amido de milho), dissolvidas na água
  • ½ cubo de caldo de carne
  • ½ xícara de molho shoyu

Preparação

  1. Leve ao lume a água com a maizena dissolvida, o caldo de carne e o shoyu. Mexa até engrossar levemente. Desligue o lume e reserve.
  2. Doure a carne. Acrescente a cebola e os cogumelos. Após cerca de 2 minutos, junte a cenoura, os brócolis e a couve-flor.
  3. Misture bem e adicione o molho reservado. Deixe ferver.
  4. Junte o macarrão cozido, envolva tudo e desligue o lume.

Nota:

Você pode adicionar outros ingredientes como pimentões coloridos, acelga, repolho, frango, camarões ou combinar tudo. O importante é manter os legumes al dente para preservar a textura crocante característica do yakisoba.

For a taste of one of Japan’s most beloved noodle dishes, here is the recipe, freshly translated and ready for your kitchen.

Japanese Yakisoba

Yakisoba, which literally translates to “fried noodles,” is a classic Japanese stir-fry dish that is a staple at festivals, a popular street food, and a favourite for a quick and easy home-cooked meal. Despite the name “soba,” which typically refers to buckwheat noodles, yakisoba is almost always made with wheat-based Chinese-style noodles. The dish is celebrated for its perfect harmony of textures and its signature sweet and savoury sauce that coats every single ingredient.

The beauty of Yakisoba lies in its incredible versatility. It’s a fantastic “clean out the fridge” meal. While this recipe uses beef and a classic combination of vegetables, you can easily substitute with chicken, pork, shrimp, or even make it completely vegetarian by adding tofu and more vegetables. The key is to have everything chopped and ready to go before you start cooking, as the stir-frying process is very fast, and to keep the vegetables crisp and “al dente” to achieve that characteristic Yakisoba crunch.

Ingredients

  • 250g Japanese stir-fry noodles (chukamen, ramen, or even spaghetti can work in a pinch)
  • Finely chopped meat (this recipe uses beef tenderloin, but chicken, pork, or shrimp are also great)
  • A selection of vegetables, cooked until crisp-tender (al dente), such as:
    • Broccoli florets
    • Cauliflower florets
    • Carrot, cut into strips or thin rounds
  • 1 Onion, cut into wedges or cubes
  • Mushrooms, sliced (The original recipe notes using hearts of palm as a substitute)
  • Other great additions include: bell peppers, cabbage, or bean sprouts

For the Sauce:

  • 3 ½ cups (approx. 830ml) of water
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in a little of the cold water
  • ½ beef stock cube
  • ½ cup (approx. 120ml) soy sauce

Preparation

  1. First, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan, combine the water (with the cornstarch already dissolved in it), the beef stock cube, and the soy sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens slightly. Turn off the heat and set aside.
  2. In a large wok or frying pan, heat a little oil and stir-fry the chopped meat with a pinch of salt until browned. Add the onion and mushrooms (or hearts of palm) and cook for about 2 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
  3. Add the remaining crisp-tender vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower) to the pan.
  4. Stir everything together well, then pour over the reserved sauce. Allow the mixture to come to a boil.
  5. Add the cooked noodles to the wok, toss everything together to ensure the noodles and vegetables are fully coated in the sauce, and then turn off the heat. Serve immediately.