Easy Tantanmen Ramen
You might be thinking... wait, this name sounds similar to Dan Dan Noodles. Well, you're not far off. This Japanese dish is inspired by the classic Chinese spicy noodle dish - dan dan noodles. This Japanese take is a soupy ramen, instead of a dry mixed noodles. Both are fiery dishes with a kick, and packed full of flavour and umami.
Tantanmen soup is like a creamy, nutty dream with a secret spicy surprise, thanks to the combination of sesame paste and chilli oil. This is paired with thin, springy noodles soaking up all that deliciousness, making every slurp a guaranteed good time. There can be a variety of toppings for this, meaning it is a super customisable dish. If you like pork, add some tender braised pork, aka chashu. However, making chashu takes quite a while so here I've done a quick mined meat version, paired with a perfectly marinated Japanese ramen egg (recipe attached below), and finished off with a serving of greens.
And if you're worried about how spicy this is, don't worry, you can simply adjust the spice level to your liking.
Either way, next time you're craving a bowl of quick but tasty noodles with a kick, try tantanmen.
Ingredients
- 2 servings of noodles of your choice. I used somen noodles here
For the sauce base
- 2 tbsp peanut butter, or better, sesame paste
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1-2 tbsp chilli oil
For the pork mince topping
- 200g pork mince
- 1 tbsp Chinese doubanjiang
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine, optional
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp grated ginger
For the soup base
- 500ml chicken stock
- 300ml soy milk
- 1 tbsp chilli oil, optional
Pair it with
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat the chicken stock and oat milk (or soy milk) until simmering.
- While the broth simmers, in a separate bowl, whisk together peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and chilli oil.
- Add the ground pork into a frying pan (you don't have to add any oil here as the pork with release some fat as it renders) and continue cooking until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Stir in garlic, ginger, doubanjiang, soy sauce, and Chinese cooking wine. Cook for another minute or two, Season to taste, then set aside.
- Cook your noodles of choice according to package instructions. In the last minute of cooking, add the pak choi and blanch until slightly softened. Drain the noodles and vegetables, rinsing briefly under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- To assemble, combine the simmering broth with the peanut butter base. Divide the noodles and vegetables among serving bowls. Top with the cooked pork topping, a ramen egg (if using), and your favourite garnishes like chopped spring onions, sesame seeds, and extra chilli oil if you want it extra hot.
Tips:
- If you can't find doubanjiang, you can substitute with Korean gochujang paste, adjusting the amount to your spice preference.
- Feel free to add other vegetables to the broth, such as mushrooms or carrots, and substitute pork mince with crumbled tofu to make it vegetarian.
- The leftover cooked pork topping can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and used in other stir-fries or rice bowls.
Video demonstration
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