Ramen is more than just comfort food. Right from its inception to mitigate hunger in 1958, its adaptations are numerous. Further, an inexpensive dish that takes minutes to prepare is a huge hit among today’s fast-paced generation.
While many typical recipes surround broth or soup as a base, we want to stretch beyond the common to bring out the uncommon delicacies that would make instant ramen taste heavenly. Also, the recipes listed below can include your imagination and customizations and they will still turn out good!
Stay tuned for some must-try recipes using ramen or instant noodles in the forthcoming sections.
1. Stir-fry Ramen Noodles
Image Credit: R Eris Prayatama on Unsplash
A three-step recipe will bring quick but delicious instant noodles to your plate.
Ingredients:
- Vegetable Oil
- Green Onions
- Garlic
- Bok Choy
- Dark Soy Sauce
- Regular Soy Sauce
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Sambal Oelek (Ulek)
Steps Involved:
- Cut bok choy into pieces and start frying them in a pan with a little oil and garlic.
- Meanwhile, boil ramen noodles in a pot till they break apart when pressed. Add these cooked noodles and sauces in the ingredient list to the stir-frying pan.
- Give a quick and even toss several times to get your noodles coated uniformly. When done, transfer it to a plate and top it with ingredients of your choice.
Toppings add a special flavor to this dish and toasted sesame seeds would be our primary suggestion. However, spice things up with a topping of your choice and green onions make a great pair.
2. Nutty Ramen Noodles
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Give your ramen packet a traditional flavor with peanut butter-inspired dressing. However, it is better to sideline your seasoning packet while using this recipe.
Ingredients:
- Peanut Butter
- Honey
- Soy sauce
- Rice Vinegar
- Garlic
- Ginger
Steps Involved:
Boil a packet of noodles as per the doneness you love. Next, mix the ingredients above in a cup and transfer them to the hot noodles pan. Give a gentle and thorough mix for flavorful and nutty taste induced.
3. Simple Yet Cheesy Ramen Recipe
Image Credit: Rachel Patterson on Flickr
Why not keep it down to earth by just throwing in a poached egg with some gooey cheese on top of your ramen bowl?
Ingredients:
- A packet of ramen with seasoning
- 1 large egg
- Butter - ½ teaspoon
- American Cheese - 2 slices or as needed
- Toppings like scallions or sesame seeds
Steps Involved:
- Cook your ramen packet with seasoning for about 2 minutes in two and a half cups of water.
- Instead of adding a poached egg directly, you can cook the egg in the heat of the noodles. Break open an egg on top of the noodle pan and let it sit. Avoid stirring and pull your noodles over the egg as a covering to allow the heat to spread.
- Once the egg is ready, get ready to plate them in a serving bowl and add a dash of toasted sesame seeds or green onions to finish the dish off.
4. Skillet Ramen with Shrimp and Veggies
Image Credit: jeffreyw, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This is an earthy meal for a perfect weeknight.
Ingredients:
- Shallots - 2 finely diced
- Garlic - 1 clove
- Shrimp
- Chicken-flavored ramen
- Water
- Veggies of your choice
- Parmesan Cheese
- Milk - ¼ cup
- Oil
Steps Involved:
- Take a skillet and add oil as required. Toss in the garlic and shallots for even frying. Later, add shrimp pieces and cook for just 2 minutes. Once they are opaque, take them out.
- Next, you can add the veggies for a quick stir-fry.
- Now, you have to add water, ramen noodles, and seasoning.
- Cook till it reaches a boiling point and the noodles look soft.
- Add the milk and parmesan cheese to bring to a combined mixture.
- The cooked shrimp goes in next and this is the finishing touch as you just have to throw the seafood in at the last moment. Else, you will overcook them.
- Top the dish with your preferred options.
5. Ramen Coleslaw
Image Credit: Chaos Is Bliss
A combination of ramen and coleslaw is bound to make you go crazy!
Ingredients:
- Almonds - ½ cup
- Sesame seeds - 2 tablespoon
- Vegetable oil - ⅓ cup
- Soy sauce - 2 tablespoon
- Rice vinegar - 3 tablespoon
- Ramen noodles
- Sugar -1 tablespoon
- Black Pepper - ¼ teaspoon
- Cabbage shredded
- 3 or 4 sliced onions
Steps Involved:
- Toast almonds and sesame seeds in a pan.
- Make coleslaw dressing by combining sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oil, black pepper, and seasoning from a ramen packet. Mix and shake well.
- Take a big bowl and add the dry ingredients like cabbage and onions. You can either have noodles here as a crispy element when uncooked. Else, you can cook them and add them after they become tender.
- Toss the salad gently and leave it in the refrigerator to firm up. Serve it as a side to enjoy with mains.
Final Thoughts
These recipes are easy yet tasty nonetheless. Enjoy your favorite flavor of ramen noodles with a choice of additions like meat, veggies, and toppings to make an instant meal that would make a happy evening!
You can also find several other delicious recipes on our HalalTrip blog!
Cover Image Credit: Fernando Andrade on Unsplash
