Ramen! We can get behind a good bowl of Tonkatsu ramen, a chunky chicken broth ramen or this delightful Spicy Chili Miso Ramen!
Ramens roots run deep from a Japanese fusion of a Chinese noodle dish called lāmiàn or "pulled noodles" and we are sooo happy that they got that inspiration! Regionally Japan has many different types of ramen, from salt ramen to soy flavored pork broth and everything in between, there are endless ways to create a delicious bowl. (We have even read about a pineapple ramen!!)
With this delicious ramen recipe we invite you to try this with any variation you like. Make this as spicy as you want or give it a higher kick of miso. The possibilities are endless! Especially when it comes to your toppings. Trust us, we enjoyed that part.
Notes:
This recipe makes roughly 4-6 bowls worth of broth and 4 bowls worth of noodles (This all depends on your bowl and portion sizes), so you will have leftovers unless feeding a large group.
The chili oil is pungent so it is necessary for there to be enough broth to outweigh the flavor of the oil.
The way that we cook the noodles will mean you have the flavor of the noodles and the flavor of the broth individually. For this style of ramen we suggest taking a nice spoonful of the broth with your noodles to get all those flavors mixing together.
Ingredients:
Chili Oil
1 1/2 Tbls Chili Flakes 35,000 HU (You can opt for milder chili flakes if the heat is too much)
1 Garlic Clove
1 1/2 Tbls Avocado Oil
Broth
1 Qt. water
9 Tbls. Red Miso Paste
(We know this seems like a lot, however 1.5 Qts. of water is quite a lot as well. You can also adjust to taste as you go)
2-3 Tbls Soy Sauce
2-3 Tbls Mirin
2 Cup Bok Choy
2 Cup Mushrooms
(Whatever mushrooms are available is fine, though we recommend Wood-ear or Enoki)
1/2 cup Green Onion
(You can chop these thick or thin depending on your preference)
1/2 Cup Daikon Radish
Ramen Noodles
2 Bundles of Ramen Noodles or Somen Noodles
A pinch of salt
Optional toppings:
Raddish
Egg
Bean Sprouts
Prep:
For the Daikon we recommend cutting it into strips and cutting those in half to be easier to eat.
We recommend having the ingredients ready and easy to access as this cooks fairly quickly.
Instructions:
In a large pot, add your 1 quart of water and set over heat until boiling. Simultaneously in a sauce pan heat your avocado oil until it is hot.
Once the oil is hot, carefully add your chili flakes and garlic. The heat of the oil should immediately start to toast your chili flakes. Be very careful as your oil should be roughly in the 225º - 250º F.
Once your chili flakes and garlic are toasted, you can set that aside and add a smaller pot to heat.
Fill this pot with enough water to cook your noodles according to their directions, now is when you will add the pinch of salt to your noodle water. While your water is heating, take a medium sized mixing bowl and fill it with cold water, you will need this later.
When your large pot of water is simmering, take a bowl and put your miso paste into it, then add some water, with a spoon or chopsticks you can mash or whisk your miso paste with the water to help it break apart. This makes it easier to be sure there are no lumps of miso paste in your broth.
Once your Miso is dissolved, add it to your large pot along with your bok choy, mushrooms, green onion, daikon, soy sauce and mirin. Add your chili oil as well, however add it to taste, the more you add the more spicy your broth will be.
In your smaller pot add your ramen (or somen) and let it cook until soft. This should not take very long.
Once your noodles are cooked, strain them out in a fine mesh colander and put them in your cold water. This will allow your noodles to stay wet and not firm up, but also not get soggy. We don't want soggy ramen.
Optionally at this stage, while your broth simmers, you can fry an eg to top your ramen.
Once your broth has simmered for about 15-30 minutes (the longer you simmer, the more flavor the veggies soak up.) you can take it off the heat.
Now in a bowl add your noodles. And gently ladle in some of your broth along with your veggies.
Finally top with any toppings you like and Enjoy!
