In the summertime we love to make cold ramen noodles topped with vegetables. Our favorite dressing is based on nerigoma, a paste made from toasted sesame seeds. It is very different from tahini which has a raw taste to it, the nerigoma is actually more similar to peanut butter.
Many different vegetables and toppings will suit this dish. Here we have wakame, nagaimo, cucumbers, tomatoes, ham, and thin sheets of omelet.
Banbanji Sauce
2 Tablespoons nerigoma (toasted sesame paste, do not used tahini, use peanut butter instead)
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon rayu (spicy sesame oil)
The sauce will keep for a few days. We use this dressing also for salad or to dress cooked vegetables for Shinji's bento.