Jajamen (Japanese-Style Zhajiangmian Noodles)
ジャージャー麺 · Jajamen
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Jajamen is Japan's version of the Chinese noodle dish zhajiangmian: chewy noodles topped with a savory ground-pork sauce and a scattering of crisp cucumber. In Japan the sauce is usually built on miso, giving it a gentle sweet-salty flavor that children love spooned over their noodles. The chili bean paste is kept on the side as a topping, so the little ones get a mild bowl while everyone else can add as much heat as they like. Finely chopped carrot, long onion and bamboo shoots hide in the sauce and give it a pleasant crunch.
Toddlers to adults. Portion out the children's share before the final seasoning, then season the rest for adults.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 24 gcarrot
- 15 gJapanese long onion (naga-negi)A long, thick scallion with a mild, sweet flavor when cooked, used in Japanese soups and stir-fries. Substitute: Leek (white and light green parts) or thick scallions.
- 30 gbamboo shoots (boiled, water-packed)
- 60 gground pork
- 0.9 gginger paste (tube)Grated ginger sold ready to use in a squeeze tube, a staple in Japanese kitchens. Japanese school lunch kitchens grate fresh ginger for its aroma, but for cooking at home Aoi says the tube works just fine. Tube pastes often contain added salt, oil and other ingredients, so check the label. Substitute: Use freshly grated ginger in the same amount. 1 teaspoon of paste is about 5 g.
- 0.9 ggarlic paste (tube)Grated garlic sold ready to use in a squeeze tube, a staple in Japanese kitchens. Japanese school lunch kitchens grate fresh garlic for its aroma, but for cooking at home Aoi says the tube works just fine. Tube pastes often contain added salt, oil and other ingredients, so check the label. Substitute: Use freshly grated garlic in the same amount. 1 teaspoon of paste is about 5 g.
- 1.8 gvegetable oil
- 90 mlwater
Seasonings (A)
- 3.3 gsakeSake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
- 2.4 gsugar
- 4.5 gsoy sauce
- 14.4 gmisoFermented soybean paste. Salty and savory, it is Japan's everyday seasoning for miso soup and many simmered dishes. Substitute: Any light (white or awase) miso. Misos differ in saltiness, so start with a little less and taste. Some misos are made with barley or wheat, so check the label if you avoid them.
Starch Slurry
- 2.4 gpotato starch (katakuriko)Japanese potato starch used for thickening sauces and coating fried foods. Substitute: Cornstarch: start with the same amount and add a little more if it is still thin. It thickens a little less than potato starch and needs a couple of minutes at a gentle bubble to reach full thickness.
- 4.8 gwater (for the potato starch slurry)
- 1.8 gsesame oil
Toppings
- 18 gcucumber
- a pinch (optional)doubanjiang (Chinese chili bean paste)A salty, spicy Sichuan paste of fermented broad beans and chilies; use a very small amount for children. Substitute: Gochujang, or a little miso mixed with a few drops of chili sauce. Many gochujang brands contain wheat, and some doubanjiang and miso do too, so check the labels if you avoid wheat.
- 0.9 ball(s)fresh ramen noodlesFresh Chinese-style wheat noodles sold refrigerated in Japan for ramen and stir-fried noodles. Substitute: Dried ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packet) or thin spaghetti.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- Japanese long onion (naga-negi) (長ねぎ)
- A long, thick scallion with a mild, sweet flavor when cooked, used in Japanese soups and stir-fries. Substitute: Leek (white and light green parts) or thick scallions.
- ginger paste (tube) (しょうがチューブ)
- Grated ginger sold ready to use in a squeeze tube, a staple in Japanese kitchens. Japanese school lunch kitchens grate fresh ginger for its aroma, but for cooking at home Aoi says the tube works just fine. Tube pastes often contain added salt, oil and other ingredients, so check the label. Substitute: Use freshly grated ginger in the same amount. 1 teaspoon of paste is about 5 g.
- garlic paste (tube) (にんにくチューブ)
- Grated garlic sold ready to use in a squeeze tube, a staple in Japanese kitchens. Japanese school lunch kitchens grate fresh garlic for its aroma, but for cooking at home Aoi says the tube works just fine. Tube pastes often contain added salt, oil and other ingredients, so check the label. Substitute: Use freshly grated garlic in the same amount. 1 teaspoon of paste is about 5 g.
- sake (酒)
- Sake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
- miso (みそ)
- Fermented soybean paste. Salty and savory, it is Japan's everyday seasoning for miso soup and many simmered dishes. Substitute: Any light (white or awase) miso. Misos differ in saltiness, so start with a little less and taste. Some misos are made with barley or wheat, so check the label if you avoid them.
- potato starch (katakuriko) (かたくり粉)
- Japanese potato starch used for thickening sauces and coating fried foods. Substitute: Cornstarch: start with the same amount and add a little more if it is still thin. It thickens a little less than potato starch and needs a couple of minutes at a gentle bubble to reach full thickness. Read the guide: Katakuriko (Japanese Potato Starch) and What to Use Instead → Guide: japanese-school-lunch.com/articles/katakuriko-potato-starch/
- doubanjiang (Chinese chili bean paste) (豆板醤)
- A salty, spicy Sichuan paste of fermented broad beans and chilies; use a very small amount for children. Substitute: Gochujang, or a little miso mixed with a few drops of chili sauce. Many gochujang brands contain wheat, and some doubanjiang and miso do too, so check the labels if you avoid wheat.
- fresh ramen noodles (生中華麺)
- Fresh Chinese-style wheat noodles sold refrigerated in Japan for ramen and stir-fried noodles. Substitute: Dried ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packet) or thin spaghetti.
Directions
Video is in Japanese — the steps below are synced to it, so tap ▶ on a step to jump to that moment.
- 1
Finely chop the carrot, long onion and bamboo shoots (cutting the bamboo shoots a little larger keeps their crunchy texture, which we recommend).
- 2
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the carrot and long onion over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the ground pork, ginger and garlic and stir-fry until the pork is cooked through.
- 3
Add the bamboo shoots and stir-fry briefly, then add the water and Seasonings (A) and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Note: If you are also making a toddler version, use only about 70% of the combined seasonings here and go on to step 4.
- 4
Turn off the heat, stir in the starch slurry, then return the pan to low heat. Once the sauce has thickened, drizzle in the sesame oil. Note: Set aside the toddler portion, then for elementary-school age and up, add the remaining seasonings to taste and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- 5
Cook the fresh ramen noodles in boiling water according to the package directions, drain in a colander and rinse briefly with warm water to remove the surface slipperiness. Put the noodles in bowls, spoon the miso pork sauce over the top and finish with julienned cucumber. Add doubanjiang to taste to adjust the heat. Note: For toddlers, boil the noodles about 2 minutes longer, and top with cucumber that has been boiled for about 1 minute.
Tips for Best Results
・Making the sauce with red miso gives it a richer, deeper flavor. Simmering it longer gives a more concentrated taste.
・At school lunch we serve this with warm noodles, but it is also delicious served cold.
How to Freeze
Spread the miso pork sauce thinly in freezer bags, one meal's worth per bag, and freeze. To eat, reheat in the microwave and pour over freshly boiled noodles. Julienne the cucumber and add it just before eating.
Keeps about 2 weeks (best eaten as soon as possible).
Nutrition
Nutrition values do not include the noodles.
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 234.8 kcal | 469.5 kcal | 234.8 kcal |
| Protein | 14.3 g | 28.5 g | 14.3 g |
| Fat | 14.8 g | 29.6 g | 14.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g | 27.9 g | 14 g |
| Fiber | 2.8 g | 5.7 g | 2.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 2.6 g | 5.1 g | 2.6 g |
| Calcium | 39 mg | 78 mg | 39 mg |
| Iron | 1.6 mg | 3.2 mg | 1.6 mg |
| Potassium | 531 mg | 1062 mg | 531 mg |
| Phosphorus | 139.5 mg | 279 mg | 139.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | Phosphorus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 234.8 kcal | 14.3 g | 14.8 g | 14 g | 2.8 g | 2.6 g | 39 mg | 1.6 mg | 531 mg | 139.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 469.5 kcal | 28.5 g | 29.6 g | 27.9 g | 5.7 g | 5.1 g | 78 mg | 3.2 mg | 1062 mg | 279 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
