- 4 water
- one 1/3-ounce dashi packet
- two 9-ounce packages frozen udon, preferably sanuki udon*
- 2 soy sauce
- 2 mirin
- 2 sugar
- 1/4 plus pinch of salt
- 1 spinach (optional)
- 4 slices inariage
- 4 thin slices narutomaki (japanese fish cake) (optional)
- 1 scallion, chopped finely (optional)
- In a medium-sized pot, combine the water and dashi packet and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 7 minutes. Discard the dashi packet. Add the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and ΒΌ teaspoon salt and return to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, place the udon in a bowl and loosen it up by running warm water over it. Once the broth has returned to a simmer, add the udon and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- If using the spinach, bring a pot of water to boil over high heat and add a pinch of salt. Set up an ice bath with a colander. Add the spinach stem first to the boiling water. Cook for 1 minute. Immediately transfer the spinach to the ice bath and drain. Collect the spinach from the bowl and squeeze the water out. Chop up the spinach and set aside.
- Serve the udon in a bowl and top with inariage and additional toppings of your choice.