It’s December and it’s starting to get really cold here in Raleigh so every day we are always on the lookout to come up with warm and yummy comforting meals. If there is one meal that will never disappoint you or let you down, it has got to be a hot, steaming bowl of noodles. Growing up in different countries, if there is one thing that Sriram and I can relate to, it is definitely our shared love for various types of noodles. If you were a kid growing up in the 90’s in India, there is no way you would have missed the takeover of Maggi and Top Ramen and endless times you would have tried to slurp a single strand of noodles just like how the kid does in this old ad.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sriram though, has a soft spot for Koka noodles. A lot of you who have tried it will agree that it is one of the best in the market. The taste and packaging has been more or less the same for over 20 years. It is not widely available in the US so, whenever we visit India, the top item on our shopping list is Koka Noodles. If you are one of those people that will go through multiple packets of noodles in a week, then you should get this 24 pack from Amazon.
However, if you are health-conscious and concerned about the amount of sodium that goes into a bowl of noodles but yet want to dig into something tasty, here’s an easy, simple, under-20-mins healthier ramen recipe for you from thatvegetariancouple’s kitchen.

Recipe:

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 slab of Extra-Firm tofu; cut into long cubes
• 1 cup of shiitake mushrooms or any mushroom of your choice
• 1 carrot julienned (if you are too lazy, you can use pre-cut carrots); pickled in a teaspoon of white vinegar and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with a pinch of salt
• Chopped baby corn (optional; we used bottled baby corn) + any other greens (such as spinach and bok choy) of your choice
• 1.5 cups of unsalted vegetable stock* (we used the brand Kitchen Basics from Kroger)
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cooking sherry wine
• 2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 slabs of ramen noodles of noodles of your choice
• 3-4 cloves of finely chopped garlic (we used minced garlic)
• 1 inch of ginger finely chopped
• Spring onion and sesame seeds for garnish

Method:

1. In a pot, add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Let it heat a little bit and add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and saute till it turns fragrant (takes about 20 seconds).
2. To this add 1.5 cups of vegetable stock, 1 cup of water, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon cooking sherry wine. Let it cook for 5-7 mins in low flame.
3. Meanwhile chop the mushrooms into long strips and add one half to the cooking stock. Saute the other half with very little soy sauce and pepper.
4. In the same pan, add little oil and saute the tofu with spices of your choice (we used tumeric, paprika, and cumin powder) till the water evaporates and the tofu turns a little crispy.
5. In another pot, bring enough water (around 750 ml) to boil to cook the noodles. Cook the noodles as per the package instructions. Remove excess water.

Arranging your ramen:

1. In a bowl add required stock and add your noodles.
2. Top it with cooked tofu, mushroom, pickled carrots, plus any other veggies.
3. Garnish wish chopped spring onions and sesame seeds and slurp!

Notes:

• I did not add any extra salt since the sodium from soy sauce, cooking stock, and the ramen were enough for our tastebuds. You can add extra salt if you wish while cooking the stock.
• You can also make your own vegetable stock using vegetable scraps.
• You can also add a hard-boiled egg to your ramen.

Did you make this?

We would LOVE to see your own take on the lazy-easy ramen. If you liked this recipe and made this, let us know by tagging us  your creation on @thatvegetariancouple/#thatvegetariancouple  on Facebook and Instagram.