9. But if you only have tap water, it is actually doable to cook ramen
Perhaps you’re wondering, “Is it possible?,” and the answer is yes, but it takes too long.
Cooking with tap water will require at least fifteen minutes.
But the noodles are still firm.
When there is an emergency and you are unable to use gas or electricity—such as during an earthquake or flood—this is how you cook instant noodles.
You don’t like firm noodles?
Then you can wait longer than 15 minutes.
Waiting for 40 minutes will make your ramen soft.
3. Waiting for 5 minutes make the noodles soft
Waiting a little while longer is worthwhile if you enjoy soggy noodles.
Noodles will have a more comforting texture.
Your best bet is probably to use rice noodles (like Vietnamese bánh phở), since they can rehydrate very quickly in hot water. When they reach the desired tenderness, you can then discard the water and mix in whatever sauce/broth/seasonings you like. Some soy sauce, fish sauce, and/or sugar would work well, since theyre all shelf-stable and you can keep them at your office without needing refrigeration.
You can hydrate in cold water or parboil at home as advised. We used to frequently do this at the restaurant because it reduces the cooking time to that of freshly made pasta. Depending on the kind of pasta, it will rehydrate in cold water if you let it soak. Then, all you would need to do is add your preferred seasonings and the hot water you have at work.
This method’s disadvantage is that it allows for less direct heat exchange with your vegetables and seasonings. It would be acceptable to simply melt some butter and add some parsley to the hot noodles. It probably wouldn’t work if you were hoping to warm up a thick tomato and meat sauce.
I typically prepare 300–400 grams of noodles at home for four people using about two liters of water. But it’s better to err on the side of caution and use more water. Therefore, 100g of noodles in roughly 750ml of water should be fine—a large portion for one person. My 3mm rice noodles cook in about ten minutes, but thicker noodles will require more time.
