I love my new mini donabe collection, which flew straight from Iga, Japan recently.
This is my new small-size classic-style donabe, "Rikyu-Tokusa". The details are the same as the regular (medium) size Rikyu-Tokusa. It's, of course, also handmade.
One of the dishes I always wanted to make with a mini donabe was single serving udon noodle. In Japanese, it's called "Nabe-yaki Udon" (udon, cooked and served in the same pot). So, I made it! I made the broth in the mini-donabe, added abura-age (fried tofu pouch...which soaks the broth so nicely) and wakame seaweed. Udon was partially cooked separately and added to the donabe and cooked longer to finish. (Or, if you use frozen udon, you can add it directly to the donabe.)
It's such a simple dish and so easy/quick to make, and I never get tired of it!
Here's the basic udon recipe. To apply it to single-serving "Nabe-yaki" style, simply cut the recipe amount into half, and cook the broth in the small donabe.
Happy donabe life.
