It really doesn’t matter what you put into it. From what I can tell, straw mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and baby corn are the only constants.

Eggplant, cabbage (and snow peas in the end) seem like appropriate additions.

And despite the fact that in Thailand, you’d most likely be served this dish with (a very neccesary coolant in the form of) a mound of rice.

Well, this time, we’re taking our cues from Japan.

This week Heather proposed U is for Udon in her Meatless Mondays A-Z challenge . Since my two previous encounters of the udon kind involved a dish from Noodles & Co., and the time I bought them out of curiosity but served them with marinara sauce, I was hardly an expert on the true Asian preparation. But I did know after researching on the internet that Japanese udon-based soups are really more about the veggies and broth than the noodles. [And I also knew, from the sage advice of an old coworker, that the best way to procure udon is to buy the ramen-style packets from the Asian market, throw out the seasoning packet, and use the par-cooked noodles inside.]

Add the soft noodles to your bowl……then let the boiling Jungle Curry cook them the rest of the way.

Although this dish is Thai, not Japanese, and the curry is the key, I can promise you that without the noodles to help cool you off, this jungle would NOT be the easiest of places to be.

Hot & Sour Jungle Curry

[Makes 12-14 cups]

• 1 1/2 cups (175g) diced onion