Tan-Tan Style Ramen

A delicious vegetarian take on one of the most popular styles of Ramen!

TAN TAN RAMEN

I was introduced to Ramen on my first date with my now husband, a few years ago.Being a vegeterian, I always thought of Ramen as a dish only served for people who eat meat. But over the years, as the world starts shifting towards plant-based diet, I have been lucky to eat some amazing Ramen bowls which do not fail to impress even the meat eaters.

Itadakimasu

This recipe was born out of a desire to eat Ramen with no soy in it (since I am sensitive to soy). I took a shot at making Ramen at home and was surprised how flavorful it turned out to be. You do need some asian pantry essentials but this recipe will surely be worthwhile.

I have listed both soy and soy-free alternatives for reference.

Ingredients

General: Neutral Oil, Salt, pepper

• For Broth

Dried Shitake Mushrooms

White or yellow onion

1 carrot

Cabbage- quarter (optional)

Garlic cloves (peeled)- 3

Boullion cube- 1 (skip if using veg

Stock instead of water)

Filtered water- 3 litters

• For Base

Japanese Sesame Paste- can use Tahini instead- 2 tbsp

Chili oil - 1 tbsp (recipe linked)

Light Soy sauce - 4 tbsp

Dark Soy sauce- 1 tbsp

Rice Vinegar - 2 tbsp

Garlic -1 grated

Honey - 1 teaspoon

Onion powder - 2 pinches

Chilli paste (sambal) -optional- 1 teaspoon

Salt- season

Pepper- freshly ground

• For Toppings

Paneer/Tofu- steak cut (basically large thick squares)

corn starch

paprika (optional)

Mushrooms

Spring onions/green onions

1- Sweet corn tin (drained and washed)

Spinach

Butter

(These are the ones I like, you can obviously add more)

• For noodles

Fresh ramen noodles (preferred) OR

Dried Ramen noodles or any type of thin noodles

Note: You can substitute the soy sauce with Coconut Aminos and the tofu with Paneer or more mushrooms.

Steps to greatness:

For Broth

• In Large Pot, add ingredients for broth and cover with lead. Simmer for about 20 mins until the vegetables become soft.

• Meanwhile, chop and prep vegetables. Marinate the paneer/Tofu with corn starch, paprika, salt and pepper, keep aside for 10 mins.

For Toppings

• In a large saucepan on a medium flame, heat 1 tbsp oil and stir fry prepped veggies separately.add a pinch of salt when sautéing each type of vegetable and set aside.

• In the same pan (we are gonna make use of that fond), a 2 tbsp oil and then seer the paneer/tofu until golden brown on each side. This takes upto 8 mins, so 4 mins for each side.

For Base

• Once the toppings are ready and set aside, you can move on to making the ramen base. In a bowl add the ingredients and whisk together. Add a couple of tbsp of hot water to make it a “pancake batter” consistency.

For Noodles

Personally love to use fresh ramen noodles. But dried work great too!

• In a large pot, start boiling water for the noodles (the package instruction will help). We are looking for chewy noodles. It is advised to do this step in the end, as the noodles will be directly served in the hot ramen bowl. The water from the noodles will help to flavor the broth further.

The Assembly

• In a large soup bowl, add one and half tbsp of the base. Add a ladle full of broth and stir the mixture. This impart a beautiful creamy color because of the sesame paste.

• Add another ladle of broth. Using a pair of tongs, add the noodles directly from pot into the bowl.

• Add the toppings and garnish with a a tablespoon of chili oil.

• Optional: if you eat eggs, add a soft boiled egg and enjoy!