Julie Lin's garlic udon in sesame and chilli oil recipe
She says: 'Sesame paste can be easily found in Asian supermarkets now. It's a brilliant store cupboard ingredient, which makes vegan broths nicely rich without being overpowering. This is one of my go-to meals for when I'm eating alone, as it's such a quick recipe.'
Advertisement
Garlic udon in sesame and chilli oil
Ingredients
(Serves one)
200g fresh udon noodles
2tbsp Asian sesame paste
1tbsp light soy sauce
1tsp dark soy sauce
1tsp rice wine vinegar
1tsp white sugar
2tsp Sichuan-based chilli oil, or to your taste, plus extra to garnish
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3cm piece of root ginger, peeled and minced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Seasoning:
Black vinegar, salt, light soy sauce
(Liz Seabrook/PA)
Method
1. Blanch the fresh udon noodles by plunging them into boiling water for 2 minutes. To stop the cooking process, submerge the noodles in icy cold water, then drain and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.
2. To make the dressing, whisk together the sesame paste, both soy sauces, the rice wine vinegar, sugar, chilli oil and the minced garlic and ginger in a bowl until well combined. Add a splash of water until you get a creamy consistency. Adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Advertisement
3. Toss the cold noodles in the dressing, ensuring that each strand is evenly coated. Taste and add whichever seasoning station ingredients you feel like.
4. Pile the noodles into a deep bowl, scatter over the spring onions, then sprinkle on the toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of the chilli oil.
(Ebury/PA)
Sama Sama by Julie Lin is published in hardback by Ebury Press. Photography by Liz Seabrook. Available now
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
05-08-2025
- The Sun
World's sexiest powerlifter ‘Little Beast' shows off shocking body transformation from 5st 3lbs to hulking bodybuilder
WEIGHTLIFTING fans were left stunned by the dramatic body transformation of powerlifter Ru. Hikaru Komiyama, who is better known as 'Little Beast', has built a massive following on social media with her incredible feats of strength and pulse-racing bodybuilding posts. 4 4 4 Fitness has been part of her life for several years and has helped her get through some testing periods of health. And Ru, who is able to squat, bench and deadlift more than two, three or four times her 56kg body weight, respectively, reflected on her incredible journey in an emotional Instagram post. Along with a side-by-side image of her years-long body transformation, she wrote: "Left is before the ED got bad and my hair started falling out in clumps as I lost even more weight and cruised at a bodyweight of around 76lbs (34kg). "Your reminder that our bodies are not a trend. "We're not meant to look the same at our 'happy weight', where we are healthy and functioning well. "So while some people can properly nourish their bodies and, with genetics, have a predisposition to stay incredibly lean. "It may take an extreme, unsustainable diet for another. "Lean doesn't constitute beautiful. And neither does a grumpy attitude from being hungry 24/7. 4 "So if you haven't already, I hope you let yourself learn your body well enough and learn what it looks like to have a physique well taken care of." Little Beast's legion of followers commented on her inspirational post detailing her previous health battle. Another said: "So incredibly proud of your journey!! You always keep shining like a star." And another said: "Wow, girl!!!! You are amazing." Another chmed in: "Get it, girl. Looking all mmmmm."
The Guardian
04-08-2025
- The Guardian
‘Picky bits for tea?' Elly Smart's no-fuss vegan spread with smoked tofu and balsamic onion
There are many reasons we opt for a picky bits tea. Maybe there are some leftovers from a party that need using up. Perhaps you're too tired to curate an actual meal, and you'd rather just stick your hand into the fridge and see what comes up. You might even be like me – the season of opening the doors to the garden (or balcony) is upon us, we smell the summer air, and just know that the oven isn't being touched today. There are few words that get me more excited than ''picky bits for tea?'. Growing up, I think that was my mum's favourite line after a long day. We'd have an array of cold cuts, cheeses, dips and a couple of token carrots that may or may not get touched. I was a huge meat eater as a child and well into my teen years before I discovered veganism, so I've had to do a bit of a taste bud overhaul since those days when dinner was mum-made. Veganism forces you to get creative. When I ate 'everything', I had the same meals on repeat each week, but once I went plant-based, in 2016, I discovered the power of diversity. I couldn't believe how creative and exciting being in the kitchen felt once I cut out a large majority of my food groups. Picky bits as a vegan in those early days wasn't a whole lot of fun, as the options were pretty limited – I'd be lucky if I could find a vegan sausage. Now, we are totally spoilt for choice. Ocado has been my go-to weekly order for years for that very reason; it is filled to the brim with super-exciting new vegan products. So if you're looking for a vegan picky bits tea, look no further than Ocado … Deli bits are the foundation of any respectable picky bits tea, and all of these umami-packed gems will do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to injecting flavour and colour into your spread. In my books, picky bits are synonymous with M&S semi-dried tomatoes, Ocado grilled peppers antipasti, and a load of Ocado pitted green olives. I've added some M&S balsamic marinated onions too, as I love that hit of acidity to cut through a lot of the richer flavours. The soundtrack to a picky bits dinner is the crunch of your favourite crisp, mine is always Sea salt & balsamic vinegar of Modena Kettle chips, and a lovely little dip to dunk them in, such as the Happy Pear red pepper hummus. As I mentioned, now we have all the options to choose from, and most meat alternatives are super comparable to the real thing. I usually prefer to go for more wholefood plant proteins such as tofu and tempeh, which are both 'complete' proteins. This means they contain all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot make itself, super important to get in for anyone on a vegan diet. Even though this may take a while to get behind, once I introduce you to pre-flavoured tofu you will never go back. It's a common misconception that you can't eat the stuff cold, but you absolutely can. Ocado stocks wonderful tofu from Taifun, in smoked, sun-dried tomato and basil flavours. Perfect in a picky bits set-up, simply slice and layer with your favourite dips and toppings. For crudites, you can add some red pepper, mini cucumber and carrots. Now, you can't do a picky bits dinner on your own, so when the girls are together it's essential you've got a good drinks roster. For me the holy trinity is a gorgeous pale rosé such as M&S La Balconne organic Provence rosé, something pre-mixed and easy to bring like the premixed Pimm's No1 cup & lemonade, and something grownup but non-alcoholic like an elderflower spritz, which I make with Belvoir organic elderflower cordial and soda water Someone is going to be tagging you in this lovely spread, so to make sure everything is looking photogenic, I always have colourful paper plates and napkins in the cupboard. I'm currently obsessed with the adorable Talking Tables strawberry paper napkins, which complement the English summer beautifully. Now I just need my Ultrasun SPF 30 family sunscreen and I'm picky bits ready. Life Delivered. Shop now at Ocado
The Guardian
02-08-2025
- The Guardian
Meera Sodha's vegan recipe for a summer crispy rice salad with tofu, lime and herbs
It's been a salad kind of summer so far. Hot days spent camping with friends, impromptu picnics in the park, afternoons watching the tennis, reading in the garden with Test Match Special on in the background. Food has had to fit around summer life and, of all the meals, this has been one of the best. It has summer etched into the heart of it in that it's fresh, flavourful and good for feeding a crowd. It's a (very) wild take on Laotian crispy rice salad and is abundant with herbs, garden vegetables and, crucially, there's barely any 'cooking' involved at all. If you want to get ahead, cook the rice earlier or even the day before, and refrigerate. Not all vegan fish sauces are equal: Thai Taste makes a good one. Prep 15 minCook 1 hr Serves 4, or 6 as a side 350g jasmine rice, or 1kg leftover cooked rice5 tbsp rapeseed oil 280g extra-firm tofu, drained2-3 red bird's eye chillies, to taste, stalks discarded, flesh finely sliced7½ tbsp vegan fish sauce 7½ tbsp lime juice (from 4-5 limes)1½ tbsp light muscovado sugar 1 large cucumber (300g), halved lengthways, seeds scooped out and flesh cut into julienne strips3 round shallots, peeled, halved and cut into very thin half-moons300g cherry tomatoes, halved40g coriander, roughly chopped40g mint, leaves picked50g roasted salted peanuts, chopped If you're cooking the rice from scratch, put it in a sieve and rinse under the cold tap until the water runs clear. Tip the rice into a pan, add 600ml just-boiled water and bring back to a boil. Cover, turn down the heat to a whisper and leave to cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the rice to steam, still with the lid on, for another five minutes. Spread the rice on your largest oven tray and leave to cool completely. Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Stir three tablespoons of oil through the cooled rice, then bake, turning occasionally, for 45 minutes, until golden and crisp at the edges. Put the drained tofu on a board and crumble it with your fingers (or use the back of a knife to break it up). Tip on to a second oven tray, drizzle over the remaining two tablespoons of oil and bake for the last 20 minutes of the rice cooking time. Take out the rice and tofu trays and leave to cool slightly. In a bowl, whisk the chilli, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar until the sugar dissolves. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, shallot, tomatoes, herbs, tofu and peanuts, add the crisp rice, then pour the dressing over the top. Toss gently to coat everything evenly, then serve.
