Hiyashi chuka (Japanese cold ramen salad)
Chilled ramen noodles topped with rows of ham, thin egg ribbons, cucumber and carrot in a sweet sesame soy dressing, Japan’s favorite summer lunch.
- 35 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 2
- About $2.72 a serving
- 680 calories
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 large eggs
- 3 oz sliced deli ham
- 1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 2 packages ramen noodles, seasoning packets thrown away
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1½ tbsp sugar, divided
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
Each serving has about 680 calories, 25 g protein, 74 g carbs and 30 g fat, and costs about $2.72 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No cucumbers? English cucumbers or mini cucumbers work.
- No shredded carrots? Carrots work.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the soy sauce, vinegar, most of the sugar, the sesame oil, ginger and 2 tablespoons of water until the sugar dissolves. Chill it.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Beat the eggs with the salt and the rest of the sugar. Heat a nonstick over low and wipe it with a paper towel dipped in the oil.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Low heat
Pour in half the egg and swirl the pan so it spreads into a thin crepe.
Low heat
Cook 1 to 2 minutes, until set on top, flip for 10 seconds and slide it out.
Low heatTimer: 1 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Low heat keeps it yellow with no brown spots. If it sticks, wait a few seconds and it will let go.Food safety: For the safest eggs, cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks begin to thicken. Dishes made with eggs are done at 160°F.
Repeat.
Low heat
Stack the egg crepes, roll them up and into thin ribbons. Cut the ham and cucumber into matchsticks.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Food safety: If you’re pregnant, heat deli meat, hot dogs, salami, pepperoni and smoked salmon until steaming hot, 165°F, just before eating, or leave them out. Eaten cold, they carry a small risk of listeria.
Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water on high for 2 to 3 minutes, then and under cold water until they feel chilled. Shake them dry.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
High heatTimer: 2 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Rinsing washes off the starch and chills the noodles, which is what gives them their springy bite.the noodles with a spoonful of the dressing and divide between 2 plates.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Lay the egg, ham, cucumber and carrot on top in neat rows, pour over the rest of the dressing and sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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