Thai Tan Tan Ramen Bowl
New York never gradually does anything, it just slaps you right in the face with change and you just have to deal with it. We’re built for it and it’s sad lol. I’m talking about the cold cold weather that just slapped all of us all of a sudden. We went from wearing shorts to wearing down coats in the matter of a week. I hate this for us.
The only remedy and my favorite remedy for cold weather is always soup. When the weather gets like this, I just want to eat something super comforting and yummy. Something like ramen..
I created this bowl with those feelings in mind. I wanted a nice ramen dish but with things that I already had on hand. I don’t know why but Ramen has always been intimidating to make for me. The Pork Tonkatsu ramen I enjoy at ramen shops always taste like they take hours to make. Not to mention, the pork that tops the ramen and the rich broth and homemade noodles that make it so delicious. I wanted something like what I enjoy in those ramen shops but without the hassle. So I grabbed some ground chicken, a few asian pantry staples, and got to work.
This ramen bowl isn’t your typical ramen. The flavors are more Thai based but follow the same cooking style as a Chinese ramen. The red Thai Curry paste and the flavors of the coconut milk in the broth really make this dish magical. It’s literally comfort in a bowl- my favorite kinds of meals to enjoy.
Tan Tan Ramen is Japanese ramen but less creamy compared to your the typical ramen dishes you enjoy at ramen shops. Instead of creaminess, it includes a nuttiness that makes the broth rich and adds a nice juxtaposition to the other flavors used to make the dish- garlic, soy, ginger, etc. The traditional way to make this dish is by using sesame paste. Because I used pantry staples, I used peanut butter instead which has a similar flavor and to add that nuttiness to the dish.
The basis of this Tan Tan Ramen is to create a “tare” (soup base) which you then combine with the creamy broth and then top with cooked ground meat and leafy greens. This is was my take on the dish but with Thai flavors like the red Thai curry paste, coconut milk, and cilantro.
Here are a few notes ahead of making the dish:
To make this a fully vegan dish, you can sear some tofu and then add the spicy paste to the tofu and use this to top the ramen bowl instead of the ground chicken. For the broth, you can also substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock. Omit the fish sauce in the soup base.
I used ground chicken in this dish but you can also use pork or other ground meat options.
This bowl is mild in spice so don’t be alarmed about the ‘spicy sauce’ mixture for the chicken. Once you create the bowl, you’ll realize it’s very mild and just has a small kick.
I used whatever I had on hand to top the ramen bowl but you’re free to use other leafy greens that you love in place of the toppings II used. Some great options would be Bok Choy, spinach, and even kale. I used the leftover strings beans from the previous night’s dinner so feel free to do the same if you have a precooked veggie on hand as well.
This dish also heats up very well. Simply package the noodles, broth, soup base and ground chicken separately. When it’s time to heat up, add the soup base and broth to a bowl and microwave.
For the noodles: run them under hot water and add to the already heated up broth/soup base in your bowl
For the ground chicken: heat up separately in the microwave as well
Ok, now that we got that out of the way. Here are the recipe deets.
Serving Size: 4-5 people
For the Ground Chicken:
Chicken Marinade
1 lb of ground chicken (you can use tofu or pork)
1/2 teaspoon of low sodium soy
2 inch knob of ginger, mashed or finely chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, mashed or finely chopped
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of Gochujang (can find at Trader Joe’s as well)
Black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon of neutral oil, for cooking
Spicy Paste for Chicken
1 teaspoon of low sodium soy
1 teaspoon of sriracha
1 tablespoon of sweet chili sauce ( I use Mae Ploy- my fav!)
½ teaspoon of oyster sauce
¼ teaspoon of sesame oil
For the Soup Base:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon Chili Onion Crunch (Purchased at Trade Joe’s)
1 tablespoon of Red Thai Curry Paste ( I love this one from Thai Kitchen, I use the whole jar between the soup base and broth)
¼ teaspoon of Fish Sauce (optional)
For the Ramen Broth:
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
3-4 stalks of white part of Green Onion, whole
1 garlic cloves, whole
1 inch knob of ginger, whole
1 32 oz carton of Miso Ginger Broth (purchased at Trader Joe’s)
1 32 oz carton of Low Sodium Chicken Stock (Vegetable Broth can be used as a substitute)
1 can of Coconut Milk
2 tablespoons of Red Thai Curry Paste
1 small carton of mushrooms (optional)
Noodles & Toppings:
1 packet of dried ramen noodles
3-4 stalks of green part of Green Onion, chopped
Thinly sliced carrots
Steamed green beans
Cilantro
Hot chili oil, for extra spice (optional)
Directions:
First season the ground meat with the marinade ingredients: garlic, ginger, gochujang, soy, black pepper and sesame oil. Set aside to marinate while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
Then we make our soup base. In a medium sized bowl, combine the soy, peanut butter, rice vinegar, sugar, chili oil, red Thai curry paste, and fish sauce. Mix until fully combined. The color of the soup base should be a golden brown. Set aside.
Next, we make our spicy paste for the ground chicken. In a small bowl, combine the low sodium soy sauce, sriracha, sweet chili sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Set aside.
Now, it’s time to start the cooking process. First we start with our ramen broth. In a large pot under medium to high heat, add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and white parts of the green onion. Saute for 1 minute. Then, add in your miso ginger broth and chicken broth. Next, add in your mushrooms and coconut milk. Bring broth to a rolling boil and then lower heat to allow broth to simmer.
While the broth is simmering, we’ll cook the ground chicken. Add marinaded ground chicken to a medium sized pan under medium heat. Cook while also breaking up the meat. You’ll want a nice fine crumble for this so really work your cooking spoon into the meat as it cooks to crumble it. (*Tip: Used a potato masher to help crumble the meat to desired texture). Cook for about 12 minutes. Then, add ½ of water and cover. Cook for another 10 minutes or until water cooks through.
Lastly, add in the spicy paste to the chicken and combine to ensure the chicken is fully coated in the sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes. Set aside.
Now, it’s time to cook the noodles and bring the dish together. Boil your ramen noodles in boiling water according to package instructions.
To create your ramen bowl, first add the soup base to the bottom of your bowl. Then, add in the hot ramen broth into the bowl along with the soup base. Stir the mixture to combine. Next, add in your noodles and then top the noodles with the cooked ground chicken. To give the bowl it’s finishing touches, top with the steamed string beans, carrots, cilantro, and green onions.