Amazingly Simple Recipes to Make Mouthwatering Ramen Noodles

Learn how to make Japanese ramen with noodles in various ways in the following article. While four are the original traditional versions, the other five are regional adaptations of the Japanese noodle soup, topped with veggies, meat, egg, fish, seafood and a whole bunch of other things.

Did you know?

Ramen is basically Japanese noodle soup that originated in China. In fact, they say that the Chinese word lamian that translates to “hand-pulled noodles” went on to become the Japanese “ramen”.

Of course there exists other theories that point to the very same thing. Traditionally, ramen was a dish where noodles were cooked in a soup that was starchy and thick in nature. So some say that the name comes from the word lǔmiàn. Moreover, there are historians who feel that the term “ramen” comes from the Cantonese lāomiàn that means to “stir”. Ramen is a soup dish that involves a lot of stirring indeed. So, the name could have been adopted by the Japanese from any of these Chinese words.

Now, ramen noodles are a type of Japanese noodles that are made from salt, water, wheat flour, either eggs or kansui – a type of sodium carbonate-, potassium carbonate- and phosphoric acid-containing alkaline mineral water. Use of kansui gives the noodles a yellowish hue and a firm texture. These noodles are generally chewy in nature and may be thin, fat, flat or ribbon-like as well as wrinkled, curly or straight and come in varying lengths. However, ramen is often made with other varieties of noodles such as soba noodles, chukamen noodles and others. So, here are some very popular ramen noodle soup recipes that have travelled down generations and have been modified from region to region.

Tonkotsu or “Pork Bone” Ramen

For 4 sumptuous serving, you will need,

The Broth

Tonkotsu stock

For the tonkotsu stock:
Pork neck bones, 2 lbs.
Chicken bones, 1 lb. (backs and wings would also do)
Water, 4 quarts
Salt, 1 tbsp.

Begin with the broth. In a large, thick-bottomed pot, pour in the water, add the salt and the pork and chicken bones. Let a rolling boil set in and then reduce the heat to low. You will notice that a steady simmer has set in. This simmer needs to be maintained for approximately 4 solid hours. More or less around this time, the broth will have reduced by half its original quantity, replete with a rich pork flavour. Allow it to cool completely after that and then run it through a very fine sieve. The resultant stock will have a consistency rivalling that of molten butter, milk or gravy.

Toppings

Char siu pork
Scallions
Beni shōga

For the char siu pork:
Pork loin, 1 lb.
Soy sauce, ⅓ cup
Hoisin, ⅓ cup
Xiaoshing (Chinese rice wine), ⅓ cup
Brown sugar, 2 tbsp.
Cornstarch, 1 tbsp. (dissolved in ¼ cup water)

Now, to make the char siu pork, you can marinate the pork loin the night before or let it marinate in the fridge while the broth is simmering for a good 2 to 3 hours. To make the marinade, commingle the hoisin, xiaoshing and brown sugar thoroughly and pour only about ¼ cup of it on the meat. Remember, keep turning the meat while you pour the marinade on it so that the coating is uniform. The remaining sauce-sugar concoction is used for basting the meat as it roasts. For that, this concoction has to be heated on low until a steady simmer sets in. Next, the cornstarch has to be added to it. Keep stirring incessantly as the sauce thickens. Once it takes on a slightly thicker consistency, remove it from heat and let it cool down.

Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line a wire rack with a baking sheet. Take the pork loin out of the fridge and place it directly on the sheet. Remnants of the marinade should be discarded. Now, evenly brush the basting liquid prepared earlier all over the meat and place it in the oven for half an hour of roasting. You will need to baste the meat every 10 minutes. After the first 30 minutes, insert a meat thermometer into the pork loin and let it roast until the internal meat temperature of 170º F is reached.

You will need to continue basting the meat until then. Once the desired temperature is reached, take it out of the oven and let the meat cool down. Slice the char siu pork loin into 12 ¼-inch pieces.

The Ramen

For the noodle soup:
Ramen, 400 gms. (cooked according to package directions)
Scallions, 4 (chiffonaded)

Now, in order to assemble the tonkotsu ramen, distribute the cooked ramen equally in four separate bowls and pour equal cups of the broth in each bowl. Place a pork slice on the noodles in each bowl and the scallions to top the pork slices. You can also place some beni shōga or red pickled ginger on the pork slices.

Miso Ramen

2 servings. 1 hour. Gather,

The Broth

Minced beef broth

For the minced beef broth:
Garlic cloves, 2 (large, crushed)
Shallot, 1 (minced)
Pork, ¼ lb. (minced)
Water, 4 cups
Miso, 3 tbsp.
Ginger, 1 tbsp. (minced)
Sake, 1 tbsp.
Sugar, 1 tbsp.
Sesame oil, 1 tbsp.
Sesame seeds, 1 tbsp. (ground)
La doubanjiang (fermented chilli bean paste), 1 tsp.
Salt, 1 tsp.
White pepper, ¼ tsp.

Heat the sesame oil on medium in a saucepan, throw in the crushed garlic and the finely cut shallot and ginger. Keep sautéing until the shallot becomes translucent and soft. Simultaneously, bring the 4 cups of water to a steady boil in another container. Increase the heat to medium high at this juncture and throw in the minced pork. Sauté and cook until you see the meat changing color. Add in the la doubanjiang and stir to mix uniformly. The water that you warmed separately needs to be poured in at this point. Stir to mix. Lastly, add the miso, sake, sugar, sesame seeds, salt and white pepper. Use a ladle to commingle everything well. Here’s where you need to become cautious about not letting this concoction boil. The temperature must just touch the boiling point and that is when you cut the heat out. If a steady boil sets in, your miso will lose all its essential flavour. Pour in the chilli oil.

Toppings

Chicken breast or thigh, 400 gms. (cooked in stock, pulled off in strips from bone, brushed lightly with a little bit of the egg marinade given below)
Char siu pork slices
Narutomaki (Japanese fish cake with a pink swirl), 4
narutomaki
Beni shōga
Seasoned roasted seaweed or nori, to taste (julienned)
Wakame seaweed, 10 gms. (rehydrated in cold water for 60 minutes and then drained)
Scallion, 1 stalk (chiffonaded)
Bean sprout, ½ cup (blanched)
Corn kernels, ½ cup (canned, drained)
Spinach, ⅓ cup (fresh, chiffonaded)
Chives, 20 gms. (thinly sliced)
La-yu (Japanese chilli oil), 4 tsp. OR Butter, 10 gms. (unsalted, cut into four equal cubes)
Shiraga Negi
Eggs
Bamboo shoots

For the shiraga negi:
Tokyo negi, 1

Cut the white portion of the stalk into two long pieces, each about 2 inches long. Now, slit open one of the stalks longitudinally. Remove the green core inside (you can use it later in case you are serving char siu roast with this). Repeat this for the other piece as well. Layer the white shell coverings one on top of the other and then spread the stack out like paper. Julienne the stack finely length-wise. You can use these strips as they are or make them curly by soaking them in chilled water for 8 – 10 minutes and then placing them on paper napkins to dry out the moisture.

For the eggs:
Eggs, 4 (hard-boiled, peeled)
Soy sauce, 100 ml (preferably Koikuchi)
Water, 100 ml
Sugar, 10 gms.

First, commingle the koikuchi, water and the sugar thoroughly. After that, make two slits on each egg and soak them in this concoction for a night or a minimum of 4 hours.

For the bamboo shoots:
Bamboo, 200 gms. (canned and drained)
Soy sauce, 100 gms.
Sugar, 10 gms.
Sesame oil, 5 gms.
Chilli flakes, 2 gms.

Heat the sesame oil, stir-fry the drained bamboo in it until it turns dry. Now put in the soy sauce, sugar and chilli flakes and stir-fry till the mixture turns drier still.

For the char siu pork:
Ginger, 2″ piece (sliced)
Pork belly block. ¾ lb. (cut into 2″ rectangular pieces)
Water, ⅔ cup
Tokyo negi, 1 (the julienned green core)
Sake, ⅓ cup
Soy sauce, ⅓ cup
Sugar, 3 tbsp.
Oil, ½ tbsp.
Kombu seaweed, 1 tsp.

Heat the oil in a wide and flattish saucepan on high. Mizzle the kombu seaweed equally over the meat pieces and then place these in the pan. Keep changing sides of the meat for the pieces need to become nice and brown on all sides. It takes some time to get a uniform brown effect. In the meanwhile, you need to pour the water, soy sauce, sake into a Dutch oven and add the ginger, green core of the tokyo negi and the sugar to the liquid ingredients. Mix with a spatula. Once the meat is done, place the pieces in this Dutch oven. The pieces do not need to be submerged completely in what is to become the liquid. Use a drop lid called otoshibuta to cover the marinated meat pieces or poke holes into an aluminum piece and place it immediately over the pork pieces in a compact manner for uniform dispersion and absorption of flavour.

Cook on medium heat and lower the heat to medium-low only when you see a simmer setting in. Flip the meat every 5 minutes. You will see that the gravy will evaporate and thicken gradually. Be very vigilant when this starts to happens and use a spatula to move the meat around so that nothing gets charred. Approximately 17 – 20 minutes later you will notice bubbling and the gravy level will have reached almost the bottom of the oven (¼” in depth). Turn the heat off at this juncture. The meat pieces will have taken on a glossy effect. Slice the pieces and store in glass baking trays. Pour the remaining gravy on top of the sliced pieces. Store covered until you need to use them.

The Ramen

For the noodle soup:
Organic ramen noodles, 2 servings
Water, enough to fill ⅔ of a large pot

Now, fill ⅔ of a large pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Loosen the noodles up a bit and then put them into the pot. Cook for not more than 2 – 3 minutes and turn the heat off. Transfer the noodles to a colander, rinse with cold water and then let the colander stand undisturbed for a bit so that all the water drains out. Toss the noodles a few times with tongs in order to prevent the strands from sticking to each other.

Transfer the noodles equally to two bowls, pour the minced pork soup in these very bowls, cut the marinated eggs into halves and place 4 halves in each bowl. Place the narutomaki next to the egg halves. Place about 3 slices of pork in every bowl and garnish with toppings of your choice from the ones mentioned above.

Shio or “Japanese Salt” Ramen

This pale looking clear soup is called shio ramen for salt is the main ingredient for the broth. No, that doesn’t mean that this soup is excessively salty. It just means that the salt plays a very important role in the making of this dish. For 4 filling servings, you will need,

The Broth

A mixture of katsuodashi soup and organic chicken stock.

For the Mixture:
Water, 3¼ cups
Chicken stock, 3 cups (low-sodium, organic)
Mirin, 3 tbsp. + 1 tbsp.
Sea salt, 1½ tbsp. (preferably Maldon)
Katsuobushi or dried bonito flakes, a handful

First, heat water on medium and just when it is about the start boiling, throw in a handful of dried bonito flakes. When a steady boil sets in, remove the effervesce with a spatula and remove the pot from heat. Wait for 15 minutes for the bonito flakes to completely sink to the bottom of the pot, strain the liquid and your katsuodashi soup is ready for use.

Commingle the organic chicken stock and 2 cups of the katsuodashi soup. Boil this concoction and add three tablespoons of mirin and one and a half tablespoons of sea salt. Bring the heat down to low and let a very slow simmer set in.

Toppings

Kamaboko, 8 slices
Kamaboko slices
Scallops Scallops (fried)
Prawns (fried)
Chives (finely chopped)
Sesame seeds (toasted)

For the scallops:
Scallions, 5
Bay scallops, 1 lb. (fresh)
Corn, 1 10-oz. packet frozen)
Butter, 1 tbsp.
Black pepper, 1 tsp. (freshly ground)
Sea salt, 1½ tbsp. (preferably Maldon),1 tsp.
Soy sauce, 3 tbsp.
Sesame oil, 2 tbsp.

Next, in a skillet heat the oil on medium heat. Add the chopped scallions and sauté them until they become translucent and soft. Then add the scallops and keep stirring until they turn opaque. The butter and corn are to be added next along with a tablespoon of the mirin, soy sauce, sea salt and pepper. Stir twice and remove the skillet from heat. Store this mixture in a bowl and let it cool down.

The Ramen

Ramen noodles, 4 packets

Now, fill ⅔ of a large pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Loosen the noodles up a bit and then put them into the pot. Cook for not more than 2 – 3 minutes and turn the heat off. Transfer the noodles to a colander, rinse with cold water and then let the colander stand undisturbed for a bit so that all the water drains out. Toss the noodles a few times with tongs in order to prevent the strands from sticking to each other.

Distribute the noodles and the broth equally in four bowl, top each bowl with the scallops-corn mixture, sesame seeds, chives and two kamaboko slices each. You can also use toppings such as fried prawns and other veggies.

Shōyu or “Soy Sauce-based” Ramen

Make this tangy, savoury and light soup with,

The Broth
Broth made with chicken and pork pieces

For the broth:
Garlic cloves, 4
Kombu seaweed, 1 12×12″ sheet
Leak, 1 (large, lengthwise halved)
Chicken, 4 lbs. (necks and backs)
Pork, 1 3½-lb. shoulder butt (boneless, trimmed, tied) + 1 3-lb. rack (baby back ribs, cut into 4 sections)
Water, 4 quarts
Ginger, 2 oz. (fresh, thinly sliced)
Shōyu, ¼ cup
Vegetable oil, 1 tbsp.
Salt, to taste

Now comes the real part. In a fairly large stock pot, pour in the water and ¼ cup shōyu and heat this concoction. Add the garlic cloves, ginger, chicken and the baby back ribs to this concoction and let a steady boil set in. Simultaneously, rub salt on the pork butt, heat oil in a skillet on high and cook the butt until all the sides become uniformly brown. It will take approximately 12 minutes. After that, add the browned butt to the boiling concoction in the stock pot as well. Set the heat to a moderately low temperature such that the broth simmers steadily for 2 hours straight. Around this time both the butt and ribs will have softened. Turn off the heat, move the pork butt and ribs to a tray and put them in the fridge. Run the broth through a sieve lined with paper napkins and store the clear liquid.

Pour the clear broth in the stock pot again and bring it to a simmer. Add the kombu seaweed to the pot and allow the simmering to go on for an hour and a half on low. Chill and refrigerate after that for an entire night.

Toppings

Scallions, 2 (thinly sliced)
Nori, 2 quartered sheets
Baby spinach, 5 oz. (steamed)
Eggs
Pork cooked in the broth

For the eggs:
Eggs, 4 (large, soft-boiled, peeled)
Shōyu, 2 tbsp.
Mirin, 2 tbsp.

Marinade the soft-boiled and peeled eggs in a concoction made of mirin and soy sauce in 1:1 ratio for a good 60 minutes.

To serve the pork portions:
Pork, 1 3½-lb. shoulder butt (boneless, trimmed, tied, cooked in broth) + 1 3-lb. rack (baby back ribs, cut into 4 sections, cooked in broth)
Shōyu, ¼ cup + for seasoning and brushing

Now, preheat the broiler and cut the ribs between the bones. Untie and cut the butt into ⅓” thick slices across the grain. Lightly rub shōyu on the meat pieces with a brush and place them on a baking tray. Broil for 3 minutes, 8 inches from the heat. Remember to flip sides after the first one and a half minute. Once the pieces crispen, take the tray out of the broiler, wrap with aluminum foil and keep aside.

Accompaniments

Tōgarashi or Japanese chile powder
Rice vinegar

The Ramen

For the noodle and soup:
Chuka soba noodles, 24 oz. (fresh) OR 16 oz. (dried)

Cook the noodles al dente. Rinse, drain, cool and toss to avoid stickiness. Cut the eggs into half.

Take the broth out of the fridge, remove the fat from top, discard the kombu and add 2 tablespoons of shōyu to it and simmer for 3 minutes. Distribute the noodles and broth (1½ cups/bowl) into 8 bowls. Place an egg half along with 1 rib and 2 slices of pork butt in each bowl. Garnish with spinach, nori and scallions. Serve hot accompanied by tōgarashi and the rice vinegar.

Tsukemen Dipping Ramen

How is this different from all the other ramen recipes? Well, in this dish the soup is served separately and the noodles topped with the meat, veggies, egg, fish cake are served in another bowl. Since the word tsukemen literally translates to “noodles that are dipped”, one needs to do just that when eating this dish – use chopsticks to pick up 2 – 3 strands of noodles, dip them in the soup served alongside and enjoy. Remember, if you try to dip and eat too many noodle strands at one go, the flavour will be too dynamic and overwhelming and will sort of explode in your mouth. So, go slow and eat bit by bit. To make 4 servings of this delectable variety of dipping ramen, you must have,

The Broth

Tsukejiru

For the tsukejiru
Green onion, 3 tbsp. (crudely hacked)
Chicken soup stock, 400 ml.
Pork, 130 gms. (minced)
Tianmianjiang (sweet soybean paste), 3 tbsp.
Soy sauce, 3 tbsp.
Sake, 2 tbsp.
Sesame oil, 1 tbsp.
Garlic, 1 tbsp. (finely chopped)
Ginger, 1 tbsp. (finely chopped)
Doubanjiang (Chinese chilli bean paste), 2 tsp.
Douchijiang (black bean chilli paste), 2 tsp.
Sugar, 1 tsp.
Black pepper, 3 pinches

Now, in a 600 milliliter pot, heat a tablespoon of sesame oil over low heat. Add the ginger-garlic and sauté for a good 2 minutes and then add the minced pork to the pot. Increase the heat to medium and keep sautéing until you see the meat changing color. Lower the heat after that and pour in the doubanjiang and douchijiang. Stir for 2 more minutes and then pour the chicken stock in. Wait till a boil sets in for that is when you add the tianmianjiang, soy sauce, sake and the sugar to the mixture. Stir well to commingle properly. Take the pot off the heat and then add the green onion and season with pepper.

Toppings

Asatsuki chives, 10 stalks (cut into 5-centimeter long pieces)
Bean sprouts
Carrot
String beans
Radish sprouts, 30 gms. (roots cut off and washed well in cold water)
Narutomaki
Eggs (half-boiled and halved)
Ham slices
Prawns (fried)

For the vegetables:
Bean sprouts, 100 gms. (tips cut off, immersed in water to prevent discoloration)
Carrot, 50 gms. (cut into fine 2 millimeter x 2 millimeter strips)
String beans, 50 gms. (tips cut off)
Salt, a pinch

Fill a pot with 5 cups of water and add the string beans to it. Bring it to a boil over high heat adding some salt in the process. Let it boil for 4 minutes. After that, transfer the beans to a colander where you rinse them with cold water and then drain and cool them. Once cool, cut each bean into 5-centimeter long pieces, diagonally. Do the same thing with bean sprouts. Boil them in 5 cups of water for a minute, drain and let cool. Repeat the procedure by boiling carrots in 3 cups of salted water for 1 minute, rinsing, draining and cooling.

The Ramen

For the noodle soup:
Noodles, 480 gms.

Prepare the noodles last by filling ⅔ of a large pot and bringing the water to a rolling boil. Loosen the noodles up a bit and then put them into the pot. Cook for not more than 2 – 3 minutes and turn the heat off. Transfer the noodles to a colander, rinse with cold water and then let the colander stand undisturbed for a bit so that all the water drains out. Toss the noodles a few times with tongs in order to prevent the strands from sticking to each other.

Serve the noodles topped with the string beans, julienned carrot, bean sprouts, radish sprouts, asatsuki chives, narutomaki, half-boiled and halved eggs, slices of ham, fried prawns and anything that you wish to. Serve the soup in a separate bowl.

Zaru Ramen

This dish derives its name from the Japanese bamboo sieve or colander called zaru which is used as the serving dish directly. The noodles are placed on the zaru and served with condiments and dipping sauce. For 4 servings, ingredients needed are,

The Dipping Sauce

Mentsuyu made with ichiban-dashi

For the mentsuyu or noodle dipping sauce:
Kombu seawood, 1 sheet
Purified water, 4¼ cups
Soy sauce, 3 cups
Mirin, ¾ cup
Sugar, ¾ cup (granulated)
Katsuobushi or dried bonito flakes, ½ cup

Begin by making a quart of ichiban-dashi which you will need to make the final dipping sauce. For that, take the kombu sheet and wipe it’s surface very, very lightly. Do NOT wipe it too many times or too harshly as that will only result in the complete loss of the umami flavour. Pour the purified water into a pot and place the seaweed in the water. Let the water sit unperturbed for 15 minutes. Then place the pot on the stove to heat on medium-high. Do not let the water reach boiling point. As soon as you see a few bubbles on the surface, remove the kombu using chopsticks and turn the heat off. Let the pot remain on the stove though. After 10 seconds, throw the dried bonito flakes into the water and heat the water on medium again. In a matter of minutes, the flakes will sink completely. Turn the heat off at this juncture and skim the foam that you see on the water surface. Line a sieve with cheesecloth and run the dashi through it and collect the clear liquid in a bowl placed under the sieve. Refrain from pressing the flakes caught in the sieve to squeeze out more juice for it will render the ichiban-dashi pungent and smoky.

Next, you make the kaeshi or what forms the dipping sauce base. Heat the mirin in a sauce pan on high. As it starts to boil, bring the temperature down and let the liquid simmer for only a minute before gradually adding the sugar and stirring continuously in order to dissolve it completely. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, pour in the soy sauce. Once you see a boil setting it, remove the pan from heat, skim foam or aku from the surface of the concoction and transfer the kaeshi into a bowl. Refrigerate the base for 24 hours. After that, the kaeshi will have matured a bit. Next add half a cup of kaeshi with 2 cups of the ichiban-dashi in a pot and simmer for a bit. Transfer to a bowl and cool. Your mentsuyu or tsuyu is ready for use.

The Yakumi or Condiments

Ginger (fresh, grated)
Green onions (finely chopped)
Green shiso leaves (finely shredded)
Myouga (finely julienned)
Nanami tōgarashi or seven-flavour pepper
Nori seaweed (shredded manually)
Sesame seeds (toasted)
Wasabi (grated)
Yuzu peel (finely grated)

The Ramen

For the noodle soup:
Soba noodles, 400 gms.

Prepare the noodles last by filling ⅔ of a large pot and placing the noodles into the pot. No salt must be added to the water. Get the water to boil slowly and then lower the heat for a gentle simmer to set in. Cook for not more than 7 – 8 minutes and turn the heat off. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl and rinse with running cold water. Place a colander on top of the bowl in order to hold the noodles inside the bowl. Wash until all the gummy starch has washed off the strands and then gently pick small bundles of whole strands to place on the zaru in bundles.

Serve the noodles on 4 separate zarus alongside the mentsuyu. Line the choice of yakumi placed in small choko bowls. Any one of the yakumi options should be mixed with the tsuyu before the noodles are dipped in it and eaten.

Hiyashi Chuka or Chilled Summer Ramen

As the name suggest, this cold ramen is perfect for hot and sweaty summers. Keep in mind that all the ingredients should be well-chilled to serve that very purpose. Assemble,

The Dressing

Sesame dressing
Soy sauce dressing

For the sesame dressing:
Water, ¾ cup
Soy sauce, 8 tbsp.
Rice wine vinegar, 4 tbsp.
Sugar, 4 tbsp.
Sesame seeds, 2 tbsp. (ground)
Sesame oil, 1 tsp.

Commingle all the ingredients and chill in freezer.

For the soy sauce dressing:
Water, ⅓ cup
Kinnogomadare Sesame Sauce with Roasted Nuts, 3 tbsp.
Rice wine vinegar, 3 tbsp.
Sugar, 3 tbsp.
Soy sauce, 2 tbsp.
Sesame oil, 1 tbsp.
Ginger, 1 tsp. (grated)

Whisk all the ingredients together and chill in freezer.

Toppings

Ham slices, 3 (cut into long thin strips)
Japanese cucumber, ⅓ (julienned)
Kamaboko, 80 gms. sliced to long thin strips
Kanimi or Japanese imitation crab sticks, 8
Chicken breasts (poached)
Bean sprouts
Beni shōga
Carrots (julienned)
Cherry tomatoes (halved)
Tomatoes (sliced)
Egg strips

For the egg omelette strips:
Egg, 1
Water, 1 tbsp.
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Cooking spray

In a bowl, beat the egg with the water and seasoning well. Grease a frying pan with cooking spray and heat. Pour about half the egg batter into the pan and spread it out as thinly as possible (use the back of a spatula, if needed). When the bottom side is relatively cooked, flip the omelette and cook again until done. Transfer the omelette to a plate. Repeat the entire thing with the remaining egg batter. Once the second omelette is done, stack this one on top of the other and use a knife to cut very thin strips out of them.

The Ramen

For the noodle soup:
Chinese egg noodles, 200 gms.

Prepare the noodles last by filling ⅔ of a large pot and placing the noodles into the pot. Get the water to boil slowly and then lower the heat for a gentle simmer to set in. Cook for not more than 7 – 8 minutes and turn the heat off. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl and rinse with running cold water. Place a colander on top of the bowl in order to hold the noodles inside the bowl. Wash until all the gummy starch has washed off the strands and then drain them completely with the help of a colander. Refrigerate the noodles after that for a while.

Serve the noodles on plates and then mizzle the two dressing varieties from top. Place your choice of toppings on the dressed noodle and voila! The condiments you can serve with this ramen are of course karashi or Japanese mustard and toasted sesame seeds.

Hokkaido Butter-Corn Ramen

To make this silken, rich delight, lay your hands on,

The Broth

Chicken broth, 1 quart (prepared, warm)

Toppings

Corn mixture
Butter, 4 2 centimeter x 2 centimeter cubes

For the corn mixture:
Corn kernels, 2 cups (fresh)
Moyashi or mung bean sprouts, 1 cup (fresh)
Butter, ½ cup
Sesame seeds, 1 tbsp. (toasted)
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste

In a saucepan, heat butter and add the corn when the butter has completely melted. Stir-fry the kernels become tenderly crisp and then throw the moyashi in. Sauté until everything is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.

The Ramen

For the noodle soup:
Chukamen noodles (fresh)

Now cook the noodles. First, fill ⅔ of a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Add the noodles to the water. Refrain from adding any salt whatsoever. In a minutes time, the noodle strands will start to float on the water. Cook the noodles for about 3 – 5 minutes (they should be cooked through and yet firm), transfer the noodles to a colander, rinse with cold water and then let the colander stand undisturbed for a bit so that all the water drains out. Toss the noodles a few times with tongs in order to prevent the strands from sticking to each other.

Place the noodles in separate serving bowls, spoon equal mounds of the corn mixture atop the noodles and ladle equal amounts of the warm chicken stock in each bowl. Garnish with sesame seeds and place a cube of butter on the corn mixture in every bowl. This will make the broth a creamier by melting its way into the hot soup.

Tantanmen Ramen

Thick, creamy and very filling, this noodle soup made with Dandan noodles and topped with roasted pork belly and minced pork among other things. For 4 wholesome servings, gather,

The Broth

Stock, 1.25 liters (hot, strained)
Sesame tare

For the sesame tare:
Sesame paste, 250 gms.
White sesame seeds, 200 gms. (roasted)
Soy sauce, 150 gms.
Sugar, 100 gms.
Chilli oil, 100 gms.
Ginger, 35 gms. (peeled, roughly chopped)
Spring onion, 20 gms. (thinly slivered)

Blend all the components in a food processor until smooth and thick.

Toppings

Bok choy, 4 (large, blanched and chilled)
Pork belly, 2 slices (slow-roasted, thin)
Bean sprouts, 200 gms. (blanched)
Chives, 20 gms. (cut really small)
Eggs
Bamboo shoots
Minced pork
Chilli oil

For the eggs:
Eggs, 4 (medium-boiled, peeled)
Soy sauce, 100 ml (preferably Koikuchi)
Water, 100 ml
Sugar, 10 gms.

First, commingle the koikuchi, water and the sugar thoroughly. After that, make two slits on each egg and soak them in this concoction for a night or a minimum of 4 hours.

For the bamboo shoots:
Bamboo, 200 gms. (canned and drained)
Soy sauce, 100 gms.
Sugar, 10 gms.
Sesame oil, 5 gms.
Chilli flakes, 2 gms.

Heat the sesame oil, stir-fry the drained bamboo in it until it turns dry. Now put in the soy sauce, sugar and chilli flakes and stir-fry till the mixture turns drier still.

For the minced pork:
Pork, 200 gms. (minced)
Soy sauce, 160 gms.
La doubanjiang (fermented chilli bean paste), 20 gms.
Spring onion, 10 gms. (finely chopped)
Chilli oil, 5 gms.
Vegetable oil, 5 gms.
Garlic, 5 gms. (peeled, finely chopped)
Ginger, 5 gms. (peeled, finely chopped)

Heat the oil. Add the minced pork and stir-fry. Once it becomes well-browned, add the soy sauce, chilli bean paste, spring onions, chilli oil, garlic and ginger and keep stirring until the mixture looks dry.

The Ramen

For the noodle soup:
Ramen noodles, 110 gms. (fresh, cooked)

Mix the tare and the stock together until nice and creamy. Divide the liquid mixture and the noodles equally in 4 bowls along with the toppings. Mizzle chilli flakes from top and serve warm with a flourish.

As is evident, these noodles are exceptionally versatile in nature given that you can experiment immensely when it comes to the toppings, condiments and accompaniments. These dishes are rather filling and delicious. Try them at home and let me know how it went.

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