Recipe(tried): Green tea noodle soup

Green tea noodle soup
Green tea everything is very popular here now.
This is a very simple, no hassle dish that has no meat. Something different and refreshing with a touch of green tea.

Serve 4

200g dried green tea noodles (see notes)
2 t. dashi granules (see notes)
1 T mirin (Japanese sweetened cooking rice wine)
1 T Japanese soy sauce
200g firm tofu, drained and cut into 1.5 cm cubes
1 sheet nori (Japanese dried roasted seaweed), shredded
3 t toasted white sesame seeds

cook the noodles in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Bring 1.5 liter water to the boil, then turn the heat to medium. Add in the dashi granules in the hot water and stir to dissolve. stir in the mirin and soy sauce. (the stock should remain under the boiling point at all time.)
Divide the noodles and tofu cubes among four serving bowls and ladle the hot stock on top. Garnish with the nori and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Notes: if you can't find green tea noodles in your area, try adding some green tea leaves into the boiled water along with the dashi granules. Let the tealeaves soak in the stock for about 3 minutes before taking them out. Then proceed with the mirin and soy sauce.(i do this anyway even though i use green tea noodles. just to give it extra subtle flavour.)

DASHI: is made from dried kelp (kombu) and dried fish (bonito). Available as granules or as powder. Dissolve in hot water to make an instant common Japanese stock.