Loaded Otsu Noodles - Recipe
Cold Chinese sesame noodles include peanut butter in the sauce. Otsu, on the other hand, really is based on sesame paste. I like to make a Iively dressing with sweet and regular soy sauce, ginger, citrus, and spices, and load up the noodles up with tofu, eggplant and cucumbers. The result is a cold dish that is a huge hit with kids as well as adults, and is easy to make ahead for summer barbeques.
Long pepper is an unusual spice with a rich history. It grows primarily in Indonesia, and was used in Europe as early as the 5th century BC. It fell out of favor as black pepper became common, but has recently become available at better spice shops and grocery stores. You may find the Long Tree Farms brand from Bali, which is excellent.
Long pepper has a floral aroma along with the heat, and numbs the tongue slightly, like Szechwan peppercorn. If you can’t find it, don’t let it stop you from making these noodles, just use ½ teaspoon of black pepper instead.
Other good variations for the sauce could include miso, wasabi, and/or fresh garlic.
Loaded Otsu Noodles
Vegan / Serves 4 / 30 minutes
- For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame paste (tahini)
- 2 tablespoons tamari or other soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) or 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- juice & zest from 1/2 lemon (or yuzu if you have it, or lime)
- 1 healthy knob of ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 teaspoon or more Sriracha or hot sauce of your choice, or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- black pepper to taste
- 1 piece of long pepper, crushed (optional)
- For the noodles:
- 9 ounces plain buckwheat soba (Japanese noodles)
- 1 English cucumber, seeded and cut into ½” cubes
- 1 heavy eggplant (about 1 ½ pounds), sliced into 1/2" thick rounds
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 pound extra firm tofu
- 2 green onions, sliced thin
- 1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds
- sea salt
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce for serving, leaves pulled apart and washed (optional)
- Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl (or you can use a mini food processor), and let it rest so the flavors develop while you make the noodles and vegetables.
- Prepare the noodles according to the package directions, typically boiling about 4 minutes. Don't let them overcook. Rinse in cool water.
- Brush the eggplant with a bit of oil and grill or broil until deep brown on both sides and thoroughly tender. Let cool, then slice rounds into approximately 2” x 1” pieces.
- Slice tofu into approximately 2" x 1" x 3/4" rectangles, dry thoroughly with a paper towel, and sauté in a single layer with a bit of oil over high heat until nicely browned on all sides. Alternatively, you can use a pre-flavored tofu product of your choice.
- Taste and adjust the dressing. Does it need more salt? More citrus? More heat? Is it too thick? You want a fairly liquid texture, not pasty, and it should be highly flavored. If it too thick but has plenty of flavor, use a little cool water to thin it out.
- In a large bowl, toss together the noodles, dressing (reserving 2 tablespoons), sesame seeds (reserving 1 tablespoon), cucumber, eggplant and tofu.
- To serve, line a bowl or platter with the iceberg lettuce and mound the noodles on top. It can be hard to get the vegetables to mix in, so you may need to take your tongs and distribute them a bit. Garnish (in order) with: the remaining sauce, the green onions, the remaining sesame seeds, and a couple pinches of good sea salt and a grind of black pepper.
