How To Upgrade Ramen Noodles?

Top off your ramen with lots of fun goodies to give your bowl flavor, color, and texture. Here are some fun ideas: sriracha, kimchi, sesame seeds, crumbled bacon, nori (dried seaweed), fresh herbs (cilantro, Thai basil, chives), a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, crushed chiles, furikake, or a wedge of lime.

Upgrade your instant ramen with these quick and easy hacks.

How To Upgrade Ramen Noodles?

How To Upgrade Ramen Noodles?

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  • Ramen in the U. S. has come a long way. High-end real ramen shops are opening up left and right on both coasts and everywhere in between. Ramen was previously only known in its 10-for-a-dollar instant-lunch form, which was a staple of offices and dorm rooms throughout the 1980s and 1990s. I grew up eating instant ramen at least once a week as a half-Japanese child in the 1980s, and it still has a special place in my heart. Although the add-hot-water pack sometimes suffices, the real stuff is still great.

    Having said that, my tastes have significantly evolved over the years, and sometimes that tiny flavoring packet just isn’t sufficient. As a result, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking of simple, inexpensive ways to improve my ramen. Ghetto gourmet, if you will.

    As a card-carrying member of the Greater New York Ramen Transmogrification Society*, it is my duty, my honor, and my privilege to share some of our techniques and recipes with you.

    Please scroll through this slideshow for comprehensive, step-by-step instructions on any of these dishes.

    *Our membership is pretty thin right now—care to join?

    How To Upgrade Ramen Noodles?

    With ingredients that don’t need any additional cooking, upgrading a bowl of instant noodles is the quickest and easiest. Im talking simple sauces and condiments like:

    This is especially easy for me to do because I am a condiment hoarder (I have a whole double-layered shelf of my fridge, plus the entire door and a full pantry cabinet devoted to them). The key is to avoid using too many flavors that compete with one another. I frequently commit this error following extended nights out, thinking that more is always better when it comes to hangover remedies. Not the case. Keep it simple. Keep in mind that you should omit some of the seasoning packet if you’re using a salty condiment. You can also add:

  • Spices like white pepper, sichuan pepper, or chili flakes to the finished dish, or try adding a cinnamon stick, star anise, and coriander seeds to the simmering broth (remove em before serving!)
  • Fats like toasted sesame oil, chili oil, or an animal fat (pork, chicken, or duck are all awesome)
  • Citrus juices—a quick squeeze of lemon or lime right before serving can go a long way to brightening flavors.
  • But imagine this scenario: youre in college, the power went out in your dorm room, and you obviously had no choice but to finish all the beer in the fridge rather than let it warm up. Youre hungry, but you cant use the water kettle. Keanu Reeves pops up in your brain and asks: What do you do? What do you do?

    The solution is to simply break up the noodles in the bag, rip off a corner, add the seasoning packet, hold the ripped corner, and shake it up before eating. Lick your fingers clean after this one. It’s similar to eating Cheetos, but with delicious fingers that have “Oriental flavor” rather than “orange cheeze.” “.

    How To Upgrade Ramen Noodles?

    Lets face it: Ramen aint health food. But adding some roughage to your starch is fairly easy.

  • Quick-cooking vegetables like baby spinach, romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, thinly sliced cabbage, watercress, and scallions (amongst others) can be stirred into the soup right before serving. They should wilt in a matter of seconds.
  • Longer cooking vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, snow peas, shredded carrots, and whatever else your heart fancies can be added to the noodles as theyre cooking. It may take a bit of finagling to get the timing just right, but I have faith in you, young grasshopper.
  • Frozen vegetables can work great—corn and peas in particular fare well frozen (often being significantly better than their fresh counterparts!). I like to thaw them out by running them under hot water straight out of the tap for 30 seconds or so. They can then be drained and added directly to the hot soup just before serving.
  • How To Upgrade Ramen Noodles?

    Ramen consists primarily of starch and fat; in the majority of low-cost varieties, the noodles are deep-fried to remove moisture. Eggs are inexpensive, delicious, and, in most cases, can be cooked directly in the same pot as the noodles or the broth, so why not add some extra protein? Here are a few simple ways to do it. Ramen-eggs are divided into five levels by the World Society for Ramen Egg Cookery, which I founded, chair, and am the only member of. It is not advisable to attempt a higher level process until all lower level processes have been completed.

  • Level 1: Hard boiled eggs are the easiest—just add the eggs to a pot of cold water, bring it to a boil, then drop in your noodles. The egg should be pretty perfectly hard boiled in just about the same time that it takes to cook the ramen through.
  • Level 2: Soft boiled eggs are a tad trickier, because they involve a time. Drop them into the pot after its come to a full boil, start a timer, and pull them out after 3 minutes for super-soft, or 5 for a fully-set white and semi-liquid yolk. I like to cut the eggs open and stir the yolk into the broth as I eat it.
  • Level 3: The egg-drop method creates small curds of egg blossoms that float in the broth and coat your noodles. Lightly beat an egg in a small bowl. Once your noodles are cooked, swirl the noodles and hot broth gently around the pot. While the broth is moving, slowly drizzle in the beaten egg. It should set into fine ribbons.
  • Level 4: Poached eggs will never come out perfectly shaped, but who really cares? Just cook the noodles until theyve just started to separate from each other (about halfway through their total cooking time), pull the pot off the heat, break a raw egg into the center, place the lid on the pot, and let the whole thing sit for a couple minutes until both the noodles and eggs are cooked.
  • Level 5: Fried Eggs require the use of an auxiliary pan and heat source. This is hyper-advanced stuff, and not to be trifled with until youve mastered all of the first-level egg techniques.**
  • **Not really. Its still pretty darn easy.

    It’s never a bad time for ramen noodles.

    You can make ramen nests by following the instructions in the aforementioned video, or I’ve even heard of people substituting ramen for the mashed potatoes in shepherd’s pies if you want a little crunch instead of silky noodles. Whatever floats your boat.

    Quick and Easy Instant Ramen Hack

    How To Upgrade Ramen Noodles?

    Instant Ramen is known worldwide for three things. By adding just a few pantry essentials like eggs, Japanese mayo, garlic, and sesame oil, you can elevate your instant ramen to the next level while still being quick and simple, available, and of course, affordable. By including additional ramen toppings like nori wrappers and ramen eggs, you can even step it up.

    How To Upgrade Ramen Noodles?

    What will you need to buy? Probably nothing. So check your fridge and pantry before getting ready to go on a grocery run. Here’s the list of the simple ingredients you’ll need:

  • Instant Ramen pack– this recipe calls for only 1 pack. If using one more, just double (or triple) the rest of the ingredients below.
  • Water– follow the amount of water stated in the package.
  • Soup Base– I used an egg, Japanese mayonnaise, the seasoning pack for the instant ramen, garlic and sesame oil. This are all combined to make the soup super flavorful and thick.
  • Toppings– I used chopped green onions to add a fresh and sharp garnish to the rich soup. You can also add Nori wrapper, chopped mushrooms and ramen egg if you wish to.
  • FAQ

    What can I add to ramen noodles to make it better?

    10 Ingredients to Spice Up Your Ramen
    1. Sriracha. Sriracha is an option for those seeking a different kind of kick in the form of heat.
    2. Peanut Butter. …
    3. Dried Seaweed. …
    4. Furikake. …
    5. Kimchi. …
    6. Miso Paste. …
    7. Soy Sauce. …
    8. Eggs.

    How do I bring my noodles to the next level?

    11 Simple Tips To Take Your Instant Noodles To The Next Level
    1. Use broth instead of water. …
    2. Add some vegetables. …
    3. Use thin slices of meat. …
    4. Use some fresh seafood. …
    5. A great alternative for meat is tofu and mushrooms. …
    6. Eggs are always a must. …
    7. Add sautéed onions or garlic to your stir-fried noodles.

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