Creamy, spicy miso ramen

The first time I had ramen was in Boston, or Cambridge to be exact. I was visiting Ni who lived but a street from Harvard, right before heading off to Oxford for Summer school and one of the evenings, we stood in the long line outside Santoku Ramen as he and his roommates told me about all the wonderful things that I was going to be tasting inside. I had just recently experienced my first hot pot and absolutely loved it. If ramen was going to be anything even remotely close to it, I was excited! I ordered the spiciest broth on the menu, the kara-miso and it came with pork belly, corn, nori, soy marinated egg, and noodles on the side with a big splotch of chilli paste. Ooh, mama!  Considering it is made with three different kinds of chilli, the spice obviously hits you at first, but it is the sharp umami-earthy taste of the miso that really grabs you. I was hooked. I was so full mid way, but simply could not stop eating. I was a glutton. 

After that, anytime we entered the city lines of Boston through I-93 and my eye caught the gorgeous skyline, I’d turn to Ni with a sheepish grin and ask if he wanted to have ramen. In fact, the day we flew back from our wedding, we dropped our luggage at home and immediately walked to the nearest ramen place. 

The best ramen, for me, is the one I had in Portland, Maine. It was starting to rain so Ni and I snuck into the cute little Japanese restaurant called Pai Men Miyaki at the corner of State and Congress street. The ramen I had that day was with a base of a simple, but flavourful pork broth, and the usual accompaniments of corn, marinated eggs, cabbage, carrots, and green onions, but it was the pork belly that took my breath away. Seasoned and roasted to perfection, it fell apart even under my inexperienced handling of the chopsticks. For the first time, the broth took a back seat. 

It was for Ni’s big 3-0 that I tried recreating my obsession. I needed to distract him from the ongoing surprise trip plans, so I decided to do a week of his favourite meals, leading up to his birthday, starting with ramen. I added soy-marinated eggs, roasted baby bellas mushrooms, pickled beets, spinach & roasted garlic, boiled corn, nori, and roasted chicken with a soy-marinade to compliment the noodles and ramen broth (store bought). The whole process of putting these small elements that come together to make a great meal was absolutely satisfying. The weather also cooperated that night by dipping a few degrees, adding to the ambiance of the dinner. The broth was delicate and savoury, and we couldn’t help slurping from the bowl in the end. 

The last few weeks in Canada have been brutal (as I’m sure it has been in many parts of the world.) We just had ourselves a massive snow storm where Ni and I spent all of morning clearing out our driveway, plowing through 10-12 inches of snow (only for it to start snowing all over again! For Ni, however, this has been a dream week. Snow gets him all giddy and it’s not just that everything becomes beautiful when snow falls, it’s the understanding weather models, following meteorologists and tracking the snow fall with the scale stolen from my pencil box. And then, of course, there is the driving in the snow. With a good playlist and a dog panting in the back, we just keep looking for country roads that take our breath away.

All that time outside in the cold, however, invoked my cravings for ramen. With snow lining all our doors and windows, like a switch that was turned on and the Madrasi in me wanted to curl up with the biggest bowl of noodle soup. This time however, I wanted to try and make my own broth (or at least as much as possible.) So if you are looking for something to make the cold, cold days a little easier, join me in making a simple, creamy, spicy ramen.

I like a broth with full body so I build the base out of chicken stock (use vegetable stock if you are looking to make a veg ramen,) miso paste, and tahini. Add a splash of soy, vinegar, and chili paste and you can increase the flavour by adding a few mushrooms with their stalk, grated ginger and garlic. Close the lid and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Let it develop some flavour. 

We can start working on all the add-on in the meantime, starting with the eggs as they need all the time to marinate. I usually just make a simple blend of soy, vinegar, jaggery, and chilli oil. To get the perfect soft boiled eggs, let the water come to a rolling boil in a pan. Gently lower the eggs with the help of a ladle. Turn the stove down to the lowest temperature and let them sit in the simmering water for 4 and ½ minutes. Gently remove them from the hot water and into a bowl filled with ice and water. Remember, if you are getting them directly from the fridge, you might have to adjust the timing to 6 minutes. This would also differ based on how cold your eggs are. Ideally bring them down to room temperature before starting. Peel the eggs and let them sit in a bowl of the marinade until it’s time to assemble. 

Many of the add-ons are whatever you choose it to be. Most times, I make mine a vegetable ramen with some boiled corn, edamame, and charred bok choy, strips of carrots, roasted baby corn, topped up with some roasted shiitake mushrooms (or a combination.) To get nice caramelized mushrooms, get your pan/cast iron nice and hot. Add a slab of butter and the whole mushrooms. Saute so that the mushrooms are well coated, bring down the heat to medium-low. Let them sit and get a nice char, sauteing every once in a while. Roast for about 8-10 minutes until they are nice and golden. Season them with salt and cracked pepper. 

For the noodles, I used packaged ramen noodles and cooked them until they are soft, but not mushy. Personally I like to cook my noodles separately because I can monitor the integrity, but you can also cook them in your broth. 

Arrange your bowl starting with the noodles, pour in the broth, and gently place all the other accompaniments and meat if any. Slice your egg carefully and place it in the broth. Season with some sesame seeds and a touch of chilli oil. Add in a sliced sheet of nori. 

And that’s all it is! Easy peasy ramen at home for the cold, cold weather. Slurp away! 

AuthorPriyanka SivaramakrishnanDifficultyBeginner