Recipe: Sesame Almond Udon

Japanese goma āmondosōsu is otherwise known as sesame almond sauce. This recipe uses almond butter over tahini to attain a much lighter flavour.

One of Cindy’s favourite vegan recipes of all time, this nutty sauce goes with just about anything. Mix it up with your favourite salad greens, noodles or grilled vegetables. Here, Cindy pairs the sauce with grilled king oyster mushrooms.

Serves: 2

Prep time: 5 min

Cooking time: 25–30 min (includes dashi preparation)

Ingredients:

For the udon:

• 300g udon
• 500ml goma āmondosōsu (recipe below)
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 tsp seaweed flakes
• sesame oil

For the goma āmondosōu:

• ½ cup (65g) white sesame seeds, toasted and ground with a pestle and mortar into powder form
• 4 tbsp (70g) almond butter
• 2 tbsp (30g) white miso
• 1 tsp chilli paste/doubanjiang (Chinese fermented chilli bean paste)
• ½ tsp grated garlic
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 3 tbsp Strega liqueur (you can also use amaro or brandy)
• 2 cups dashi (I used 1½ cups for the sauce and reserved the rest for mixing) – to make your own dashi, see below

Method:

1. To make the goma āmondosōu, first bring a small pot of the mirin, Strega and dashi to a simmer in order to evaporate the alcohol. Turn off the heat and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, mix the sesame powder, almond butter, white miso, chilli paste, garlic, lemon juice and soy sauce and slowly pour in the dashi mixture over low heat to speed up the emulsifying process. Stir slowly with a spatula in a circular motion, adding more dashi to thin if needed (the sauce should be a demi-glace consistency). Feel free to adjust the taste according to your preferences.
3. Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the udon according to the packet instructions. Drain after cooking and rinse with cold water to wash off the starch.
4. Serve the udon on a plate and add a drizzle of sesame oil to prevent the noodles from sticking. Garnish with some toasted white sesame seeds and seaweed flakes, with the goma āmondosōu on the side as a dipping sauce. Pair this udon with whatever grilled vegetables you desire.

Ingredients to make your own dashi:

• 2 strips kombu (4”x4”)
• 2–3 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1L water

Method:

1. Soak all the ingredients in a small pot overnight (or for at least four hours). Then slowly bring the pot to the boil. Remove the kombu as soon as it starts to simmer, skimming the scum from the surface.
2. After the pot starts to boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for 20–25 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the mushrooms. Set aside to cool at room temperature.
   
   

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