‘Hiyashi chūka’ literally means ‘chilled Chinese’. Sounds a bit creepy but it’s actually just cold ramen noodles. It’s deliciously refreshing and satisfying too!

INGREDIENTS

4 portions of ramen noodles
4 slices of ham
8 crab sticks
Kinshi tamago (thin sheet of egg) – 2 eggs, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp water
1 cucumber
6 dried shiitake mushrooms (300ml water, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp sugar for simmering) – if you’d rather leave them out just use tomatoes or something
Sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds

SAUCE

6 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp soy sauce
6 tbsp sugar
160ml  water
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

METHOD

1. Make sweetened shiitake mushrooms. Hydrate dried shiitake in 300ml cold water for a few hours. Keep the water for cooking later. Remove stems from shiitake and cut a little cross on top of each. Put shiitake and water in pan and bring to boil. Simmer for 20 mins with drop lid until cooked. Add soy sauce and sugar; simmer until all liquid has been absorbed. Leave to cool and keep in fridge.
2. Make kinshi tamago – lightly beat eggs with cornstarch dissolved in water. Lightly grease frying pan and put on high heat. Pour half egg into pan, spread evenly around pan as thinly as poss and pour any excess egg back into mixing bowl. Flip sheet of egg over, then roll up and leave to cool on kitchen board. Repeat process to use up egg.
3. Bring large pan of water to boil.
4. Thinly slice ham, cucumber, egg and sweetened shiitake mushrooms.
5. When water in pan is boiling, add ramen noodles and cook for amount of time indicated on packet. Once ready, rinse under cold water.
6. Make sauce by mixing together rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, water and sesame oil.
7. Divide noodles into shallow bowls. Lay ingredients out on top in sections, sprinkle sesame seeds and spoon over some sauce.