Japanese cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Soba Gaki

Thick buckwheat dumpling stirred smooth directly in the bowl with boiling water, served with tsuyu or miso.

Ingredients · for 2 servings

• 150 g buckwheat flour
• 250 ml water
• 150 ml dashi
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp miso paste
• 1 bunch spring onions
• 1 tsp wasabi
• 1 sheet nori

Instructions

1. For the tsuyu, bring the dashi to a boil once with soy sauce and mirin, remove from heat and keep warm; cut the spring onions into thin rings and the nori into narrow strips.
2. Sift the buckwheat flour into a heatproof bowl and separately bring the water to a rolling boil — only truly boiling water will gelatinize the starch properly.
3. Pour two thirds of the water over the flour all at once and immediately stir vigorously with a sturdy wooden spoon until no dry lumps remain.
4. Gradually work in the remaining water and beat the mixture vigorously for 2–3 min. until it falls from the spoon glossy, stretchy and elastic.
5. Using a spoon dipped in hot water, scoop out four thick dumplings and set them in warmed bowls.
6. Pour hot tsuyu over half the dumplings, serve the others with a dab of miso paste, and sprinkle with spring onions, nori strips and wasabi.