How to make an Easy Tantanmen Ramen (Recipe by Iron Chef Chen Kenichi)

sesame paste

🥗Healthier: tahini

💰Cheaper: peanut butter

Tahini provides a similar nutty flavor with fewer calories.

ground pork

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground beef

Ground turkey is leaner while ground beef is often more affordable.

chili oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil with chili flakes

💰Cheaper: hot sauce

Hot sauce can provide similar heat at a lower cost.

ramen noodles

🥗Healthier: whole wheat noodles

💰Cheaper: spaghetti

Spaghetti can substitute in a pinch and is usually cheaper.

Cut green onions, saving the white parts for later.

Slice a small piece of ginger and smash and peel a few garlic cloves.

Heat vegetable oil in a pan over low heat; add green onions, ginger, and garlic, frying for about 10 to 15 minutes to infuse flavors into the oil.

Remove the aromatics and strain the oil to have scallion oil ready.

In a small bowl, mix tahini with some of the scallion oil until it reaches a runny consistency.

Mince 2 cloves of garlic, a tiny piece of ginger, and some of the white parts of the green onion.

Heat scallion oil in a pan; add minced garlic, ginger, and green onion, stirring briefly.

Add 200 grams of ground pork to the pan and mix until cooked; deglaze with water.

Add 1 teaspoon of chicken stock powder, 1 tablespoon of red miso, sugar, and soy sauce; mix everything together and cook until liquid evaporates.

For the broth, mix 350 milliliters of water with 1 teaspoon of chicken stock powder.

In a bowl, add the white parts of green onion, 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of thin tahini.

Add chili oil to taste for spiciness.

Boil ramen noodles in water and set a timer; add chicken stock to the bowl when noodles are done.

Shake excess water from the noodles and add them to the bowl, folding them to create a platform for toppings.

Top with 2 tablespoons of niku miso, green onions, and blanched baby bok choy.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: