Somin Champuru
ソーミンチャンプルー·(sōmin chanpurū)
The American Uchinanchu Pantry: Foundations
Somin Champuru—technically Somin Tashiya, since there is no tofu here—is the ultimate survival food of the Uchinanchu pantry. Born of typhoon lockdowns, it relies entirely on what is left in the cupboard: dried somen noodles and a tin of tuna. The trick to keeping the notoriously fragile somen from turning into a gummy, sticky paste is a rigid adherence to grandmotherly mechanics. You undercook the noodles, wash them ruthlessly under cold water to strip the starch, and immediately lubricate them with the oil straight from the tuna can. It is a ten-minute dinner that tastes exactly like a muggy weeknight in Naha.
Before you start
Execute your mise en place before touching the stove.
Because this dish cooks in under three minutes once the heat is on, slice your vegetables, measure your seasonings, and open the tuna can before boiling any water.
Ingredients
- dried Japanese somen noodles150 g
- canned tuna packed in oil5 oz
- yellow onion1/4 med
- carrot1/3 med
- garlic chives1/2 bunch
- sesame oil1 tsp
- dashi powder1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- soy sauce1 tsp
- dried bonito flakes1 small packet
Method
- 01
Boil the noodles for exactly forty seconds.
Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil. Drop in the somen and stir immediately to prevent clumping. Pull them at forty to fifty seconds, about half the package recommendation, so they retain a distinct, firm bite.
- 02
Shock and vigorously wash the noodles.
Instantly drain the noodles and run them under cold water. Use your hands to ruthlessly rub and massage the strands together for fifteen seconds to strip away the sticky surface starch.
- 03
Drain well and coat with tuna oil.
Shake the colander to remove as much excess water as possible, then transfer the noodles to a bowl. Pour just the oil from the can of tuna directly over them, tossing thoroughly until every strand is coated and lubricated.
- 04
Flash-warm the aromatics.
Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat with the sesame oil. Toss in the sliced onions and carrots, sautéing for about a minute until translucent, then add the tuna meat and garlic chives for another thirty seconds.
- 05
Integrate the noodles and seasonings.
Add the oiled somen to the pan and immediately sprinkle the dashi powder, salt, and pepper evenly over the top. Use tongs to rapidly toss and aerate the noodles for no more than one minute, just enough to warm them through.
- 06
Finish with soy sauce and bonito.
Turn off the heat. Drizzle the soy sauce around the edges of the hot pan so it sizzles, give it one final toss, and plate immediately with a generous handful of dancing bonito flakes on top.
Notes
Buy tuna packed in oil, not water.
The mechanical lubrication of the somen relies entirely on the rich, infused oil from the tuna can. If you only have water-packed tuna, drain it completely and substitute one to two tablespoons of toasted sesame oil to coat the noodles.
Respect the vegetable ratio.
Resist the urge to turn this into a vegetable-heavy stir-fry. Overloading the pan with water-heavy produce like bell peppers or cabbage will steam the delicate noodles and turn them into mush.
Embrace the pantry dashi.
Granulated bonito stock powder like Hon-Dashi is the backbone of weeknight umami. If you prefer to avoid it, a splash of chicken broth or mushroom powder works as a highly functional diaspora substitute.
From Cook Okinawan in America.