500g(1 lb 2 oz) fresh 2–3 mushrooms (shiitake, for example)
1tablespoonsesame oil
¼head of cabbage, finely sliced
½small onion, thinly sliced
¼green bell pepper, capsicum, thinly sliced
1carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
50g(1¾ oz) a handful mung bean sprouts
4eggs
1spring onion, scallion, finely chopped
OPTIONAL GARNISHES
Beni shoga (red pickled ginger)
toasted sesame seeds
aonori or dried nori seaweed cut into strips
katsuobushi
green seaweed flakes
dried bonito flakes
Instructions
Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside. If using dried noodles, boil as instructed on the packet and drain. Blanch fresh noodles in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain. For both, shock the drained noodles in a bowl of cool water, then drain again. Set aside.
If using dried mushrooms, leave them to soak in hot water until they are ‘revived’ and soft, about 20 minutes. Slice thinly.
Heat a wide pan or wok over a medium–high heat with half of the sesame oil.
Add the cabbage, onion, green pepper, carrot and mushrooms, and toss, cooking until the cabbage is wilted and the carrot cooked but still with a bit of bite, about 7 minutes. Tip in the noodles and mung bean sprouts, followed by the sauce. Toss everything together for a moment, until the sauce coats the noodles. You may need to add a splash of water to keep it shiny.
Remove from the heat but keep warm while you fry the eggs in the rest of the sesame oil for 1–2 minutes, or until the edges are frilly and the whites are set but the yolk is still runny.
Serve immediately with the chopped spring onion, garnishes of choice and the fried egg on top.
Notes
If you are really in a hurry and you want a very quick tonkatsu sauce made with other pantry ingredients, you could approximate a pretty good, similar flavour by mixing tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce and some sugar or honey.