Video:How to Make Cold Somen Noodles

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Transcript:How to Make Cold Somen Noodles

Hi, I'm Mamie Nishide, of the Japanese Cooking Studio in New York area, here for About.com. I'm going to show you how to make Somen Noodle. Somen Noodle is a cold noodle with dipping sauce. It's a very popular noodle dish in summer time. Somen, cold angel hair noodle and dipping sauce with ginger.

Ingredients for Cold Somen Noodle Recipe:

2 cups water
2x2 square inches kelp
1 oz dried bonito flakes
4 bundles somen noodles
6 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sake
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 stalks green onions, thinly sliced
4 shiso leaves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon grated ginger

Soak Kelp and Bonita Flakes for Noodle Water

In a medium pot, add water and kelp and set it aside for over night. Or if you are in a hurry, soak kelp in cold water for 30minutes to 1 hour. Start heating the kelp water with medium heat until almost to a boil, and turn the heat off. Add bonito flakes at once and wait for 3 minutes. Do not stir. Skim off any foam from the surface. Strain the kombu and katsuo dashi with triple layers of cheesecloth or a cotton towel. Do not press or squeeze the dashi.

Rinse Somen Noodles Until All the Starch is Removed

In a small pot, mix 2 cups kelp and bonito flakes dashi, mirin, sake and soy sauce, and bring to a boil and turn off the heat immediately. Let the sauce chill in the refrigerator. Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot, and add somen noodle. When the water starts boiling, add 1/2 cup cold water, and then bring back the water to a boil again. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water using your finger until all starch from surface of noodles is gone. Be careful not to over cook. Serve somen noodle in a shallow plate with cold dipping sauce on a side along with garnishes: green onions, shiso leaves and grated ginger.

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