requisite ramen stir-fry (technically, portland pt. 2)
cooking noodles in portland + farewell cloudberry summer
Off the bat, I fully admit that I have a soft spot for instant ramen. I mean, helloooo, I’m clearly not alone there.
I grew up lo-o-o-ving warm bowls of teeny tiny *pastini* floating in (salty, canned) chicken broth and even more deliciously soothing big bowls of dill-sprinkled noodle soup from our family’s favorite Jewish delicatessen on Long Island.
I can still hear my late mother explaining that some people crave sweet, and others want salty (and in my memories, her voice creeps closer to Fran Drescher’s Nanny with every recollection, although in reality, she was a bit more of a Carmela Soprano, but I digress). I recall this declaration on tastebuds & life occuring as my orange-hued fingers were inside a certain old school blue tin of cheese balls.…perhaps after a packet of Mrs. Grass instant noodle soup for lunch, so you can clearly see which camp I’m in.
And when Top Ramen & the like made its way into our Dollar Store-stuffed-kitchen, well, forget about it. Well, this kid couldn’t, even if those packets were dare I say, far too umami too dip a Saltine into.
(I mean, I then went vegetarian in my preteen years and instant ramen didn’t cross my path again until a decade later in its blander mushroom & natural varieties during my living-off-campus college years, and then yet again until first visiting SE Asia in 2011, but you get the point. You’ve surely had an instant ramen or two, or two hundred).
Despite that handy little bag above, I didn’t plan on eating instant ramen for dinner during my week in Portland. I may be budget-minded, but I really, really didn’t.
That said, I was intentionally staying at a guesthouse with a kitchen near my friend’s wedding venue and did intend to cook – which I’ve finally started doing while traveling in recent years & enjoy it so – and as I’ll go on endlessly – I could not pass up all those farmers markets.
As for the noodlin’, the dish I threw together three times and at least once since I’ve returned is an easy peasy ramen noodle stir-fry. It’s inspired by “pad mama”, a quick Thai stir-fry of those namesake, omnipresent noodles.
My reliably casual take is utterly flexible for traveling kitchens, cleaning-out-the-fridge at home, and really, the bizarre reality of “discovering” I had a few packets of soy sauce (mmm) instant ramen packets basically on display inside a vintage china cabinet as I unlocked our storage unit, courtesy of my prior in-a-rush visit as Covid arrived. [Did I just pay in advance for another year…for the sake of flash-fried noodles that cost…cents? Don’t answer that. There certainly are family heirlooms and charming mugs in there, too.]
Requisite Ramen Stir-Fry with Pan-Seared Tofu (or Tempeh)
A superfluous-ly (‘licious-ly?) speedy recipe. Makes 1-2 servings.
INGREDIENTS:
1 packet instant ramen noodles + seasoning packet to use separately
2-3 cups prepped veg - such as baby bok choy, diced/sliced cabbage, broccoli, bitter greens, snap and/or snow peas, peppers, carrots…whatever!
2-3 cloves minced garlic
small chunk ginger, peeled and finely minced or julienned
1-2 sliced chili peppers
½ Tbsp neutral oil
½ Tbsp soy sauce OR pinch of salt AND/OR use the ramen seasoning packet !
1 tsp sesame oil - toasted or not - if available
½ tsp sugar - whatever works
quick pinch white OR black pepper
Optional stuff to add in:
½ lb or more of drained firm tofu OR tempeh, ideally to first pan-fry in a bit of oil with a li’l nutritional yeast, curry powder, hot sauce, salt or soy sauce
¼ tsp curry powder AND/OR 1 tsp of curry paste
toasted sesame seeds
handful torn fresh herbs, such as basil & cilantro
good splash fresh lime juice, more for serving
chili flakes AND/OR hot sauce/spoonful of gochujang
halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, etc !
DIRECTIONS:
First, pan-sear any sliced or cubed tofu OR tempeh in a little bit of oil on both (or all) sides until lightly golden. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the tofu or tempeh with nooch, curry powder, salt or soy sauce and hot sauce, flipping a few times, and remove from the pan OR leave it in there before the aromatics enter in step #3. It’s up to you.
Briefly hydrate the noodles but do not completely cook. Immediately drain and rinse under cold water. You can do this step with boiling water or even in a microwave.
In the best pan you can find, preferably with a heavy bottom such as a cast iron or wok (see notes below), quickly sauté the garlic, ginger and fresh chiles in neutral oil over medium heat. At this point, add in the curry powder AND/OR paste, being careful to lower the heat momentarily if needed.
Next, toss in the noodles, sesame oil if available, some sugar, pepper, half the seasoning packet if you’re using it, any additional seasonings you feel like adding in, and soy sauce OR salt. Stir well and mix in your vegetables. Try to brown the noodles on the bottom of the pan, just a bit.
Keep cooking and stirring for another 30 seconds or so over medium heat, adding a splash of water to loosen things up.
Turn off the heat and add in any fresh lime juice and fresh herbs you are using. Adjust seasonings to taste
Serve pronto with any cooked tofu or tempeh if you put it on the side, and more torn herbs/soy sauce/hot sauce/lime/tomatoes/diced cukes, etc.
NOTES:
My go-to pan for this at home is a well-loved cast iron. When traveling, I will patiently use the least awful (scratched, teflon, etc) pan with the heaviest bottom. : )
In the above stir-fry and related anecdotes, I used Nissin’s soy sauce ramen and its accompanying seasoning packet. Start with half the packet in the stir-fry and you can always add more if you’re digging it (or desperate for spices).
If this looks familiar, it’s probably because it’s really just fried rice….subbed with instantaneous noodles!
and when on the road, yes, I will usually throw a packet of instant ramen into my bag !
& SOME MORE COOKING FROM THAT PORTLAND GUESTHOUSE KITCHEN:
Could I resist acquiring one bunch of basil for a mere week in Portland? Two? Three? No.
(Italian, Tulsi and Holy, for the record).
btw have I mentioned that I often travel with a mason jar and lid? Multi-faceted convenience.
And I’ve since been home for a month now, sheesh!
I hope to follow this all sooner than later with a VERY end-of-summer foraging & berrying & dehydrating (mushroom) report, because, holy moly, it’s been shades of a subarctic cloudberry wonderland !
And then we just had our first snowfall on the 9th!
I’m not kidding.
🎵 cloudberry bogs foreverrr 🎵
References + Relevant Links:
Homemade Ramen Noodles from Scratch, Ginger and Scotch ~ my go-to recipe if you actually want to make noodles! Recommended!
It’s the Umami, Stupid. Why the Truth About MSG is So Easy to Swallow, Smithsonian Magazine November 8, 2013
MAMA Tom Yum Cup Vegetarian Instant Noodles, The Ramen Rater
Nissin Foods’ Top Ramen Vegetarian/Vegan flavors: Soy Sauce and Chili
One Week in Portland - Pt. 1, these scone archives
Be well, be kind, be resilient <3
I ask: Doesn’t everyone keep a packet or two of instant ramen around *just in case*? Or in the back of the cupboard, forgetting to use it for years? Or perhaps, you bought a case before the pandemic, or uh, during college…and it’s still there. Seemingly, forever, edible (enough).
FYI…these days, I tend to opt for the Korean Nong Shim Veggie Mild packets and various Thai vegetarian-friendly brands (and daydream of the special edition MAMA offerings during the Kin Jay festivities, sigh).
I still eat Pastina! 😘👩🏻🍳🍜
I am absolutely in the "salty" camp there with you, Jess! I used to eat packets upon packets of Nissin's instant noodles - but I was pretty spoilt for choice, growing up in Hong Kong there were full aisles in the supermarkets dedicated to instant noodles. I'm pretty sure the Nissin sesame flavour noodles are vegan, so I'll have to revisit them.