Slurp worthy ramen recipes for warm and comfort food

By Express News Service

At a time when we’re looking for some warmth and comfort food, ramen is a perfect go-to bowl.

Vegan Spicy Shoyu Ramen

Ingredients

• Vegetable stock: 500 ml 

• Tofu cut into square slices: 100 gm

• Green chillis finely chopped: 6-7 

• Ramen noodles 

• Sesame oil for frying tofu 

• Bhut jolokia powder/Chilli oil 

• Garlic cloves: 3-4 

• Ginger slices: 3-4 

• Spring onion: 5-6 stalks 

• Soy sauce: 1 cup

• Rice wine vinegar: 1/4 cup

Method:

• To make the tare, in a saucepan, pour in the cup of soy sauce, and 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar, and to that add bhut jolokia powder or chilli oil, garlic cloves, ginger, and spring onion stalks. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes until it becomes half. Set aside

• For the tofu chashu, marinate slices of tofu with the tare you have prepared (keep aside at least four tbsp of tare for the bowl later) and let it marinate for 15-20 minutes. Make sure all sides are coated

• In a frying pan, add some sesame oil and pan-fry the tofu slices until golden brown

• Cook the ramen noodles according to package instructions

• Make sure the vegetable stock is hot before serving

• In a bowl, add about two tablespoons of the tare and then pour the vegetable stock. Adjust the flavour by adding more tare if required

• Add the noodles and top it off with  chopped green chillis and tofu chashu

• Serve hot

(by Sreepathy Paliath @agentfoodie)

Miso Ramen with Soy Marinated Eggs

Ingredients

For the Soy 

• Marinated eggs

• Soy sauce: 1 tbsp

• Vinegar: 1 tbsp

• Salt: 1/2 tsp

• Sugar: 1 tsp

• Garlic paste: 1 tsp

• Splash of water

• Mirin (optional): 1 tsp

Method

• Boil eggs for 5-6 minutes.

• But in an ice batch soon after to stop them from cooking further.

• Peel and put them in a plastic zip-lock bag with the marinade

• Throw this in the fridge for 4 hrs – one day

For the Ramen Broth Sesame oil

• Minced garlic: 1½ tsp 

• Grated ginger: ½ tsp 

• Small onion, chopped

• Sake / Rice wine (optional): 1 tbsp 

• Chilli paste: 1 tsp

• Sugar: 1 tbsp

• Shiro miso: 3 tbsp 

• Chicken or mushroom stock/broth: 4 cups

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Chilli oil: 2 tbsp (optional)

• Toasted white sesame seeds

• Marinated tofu: 100 gm

• Chopped spring onions

• Marinated Soy eggs

For the noodles:

Fresh or ready made noodles: 2 servings

Method:

• Add the shallot oil to a big nonstick wok

• Add minced garlic and ginger and cook for a minute

• Add the onion and cook until they brown

• Mix in the chilli paste, sugar and deglaze the pan with the rice wine

• Add in your broth and boil for 1-2 minutes

• Take some broth into a bowl, add your shiro miso and dilute it before adding it to your broth.

• Boil for 5-10 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste

Assemble:

• Cook your noodles to package instructions, or for 6 minutes for fresh noodles

• Add them to your ramen bowl.

• Spoon in the broth until the noodles are floating in it

• Add in the marinated eggs and tofu, spring onions and sesame seeds

• Garnish with chilli oil and serve hot!

(by Samyuktha Alwar, @littlealwars_bakehouse)