This is the perfect fusion ramen dish! You get the umami spice from the Gochujang in a super simple spicy Korean ramen. The tofu takes the longest to cook. While it’s cooking, you can fry the Pak choi until charred and roast the broccoli. Alternatively, you can roast both of them together to make it easier.
Then all you need to do is chop your aromatics, fry them off to develop some flavour, add your gochujang, fry for a minute then add your choice of stock. This weeknight ramen is designed to be made quickly.
🌱 What is ramen?
Ramen, a noodle soup dish that originated in China and is now a popular comfort food in Japan. Over time, it has adapted and innovated with a rich history, evolving from basic wheat noodles in clear broth to a variety of flavours and toppings. Ramen’s global popularity skyrocketed with the invention of instant ramen in the late 1950s.
Ramen styles also vary by region and season, with different types of noodles, broth, and ingredients. The inspiration for my dish comes from Korean cuisine, using Gochujang as the main flavour base. Giving you a spicy Korean ramen!
📝 Ingredient notes
Gochujang – This is a versatile fermented Korean red pepper paste. Made from red chili powder, fermented soybean powder, rice malt, salt and water. Gochujang has been linked to various benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease and boosting metabolism [1].
Sesame – Drizzling the sesame oil over at the end really lifts the dish! The oil has a nutty, toasty note that is hard to find anywhere else. I also like to use some white and black seeds to garnish.
The noodles – Really you can use whatever sort of noodles you like here. I like these ramen wheat noodles That you can find at any Asian supermarket. But, any that you have on hand will do.
Garlic – traditionally garlic is not an ingredient you would find in ramen. Feel free to leave it out if you don’t like it, but I like having soft chunks in my soup.
🥣 How to make my spicy Korean ramen
1) Cut your tofu into large triangles and fry in couple of tablespoons of oil. Depending on the water content of your tofu, It will take around 10 or 15 minutes to get it crispy enough. When it is nice and crispy, splash over some soy sauce. It will sizzle and caramelise infusing a beautiful umaminess into the tofu!
2) While the tofu is cooking, prepare your vegetables. Slice the garlic fairly thick and the onion into large wedges.
3) You can either cut your broccoli into bite-sized pieces, or leave them long as I have. This makes the easy to pick up with your chopsticks. Then lightly oil them, season with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Bake at 180°C (That’s 350°F) for about 8 to 10 minutes. Or until it looks like this. Then set aside.
4) If you want to reduce the number of pans you have on the go, you can also put your pak choi in the oven. Just cover with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Otherwise, what I do is to fry it in another pan and set aside when done.
5) Rehydrate your stock cubes and set aside.
6) In your wok, sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant. At the same time, prepare the noodles as directed on the packet.
7) Then add your gochujang paste to the wok, and fry for a few seconds before adding in your stock. Let this cook until the onions are soft.
8) To serve, add the noodles to the bowl. Then top up with the broth. Slide the tofu in on the side and add the pak choi and broccoli to the top. Now you have you spicy Korean ramen!
💡 Tips for getting it right
Crispy Tofu Perfection: Get your tofu irresistibly crispy! Fry it until it’s almost too golden, then splash in a generous amount of soy sauce. Watch it sizzle and caramelize for a burst of salty, savory flavor. Just be careful of the hot steam!
Simplify your prep with these time-saving tricks:
- Oven-Roasted Pak Choi: Bake the pak choi alongside the broccoli for easy, hands-off cooking.
- Pre-Made Stock: Prepare your vegetable broth ahead of time to save a step later.
- Pre-Cooked Noodles (Optional): If things get hectic, cook the noodles in advance, rinse with cold water, and toss with sesame oil to prevent sticking. The hot broth will warm them right up.
Spicy Korean Ramen
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp Neutral oil For frying the tofu & the onions
- 1 tbsp Gochujang paste
- 1 Piece Vegetable stock cube If you don't have both these stock cubes use whatever you do have on hand. All you really need is 800 ml of stock that you like.
- 1 Medium Red onion
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Bundles Ramen noodles
- 2 Medium Pack choi
- 400 g Firm tofu
- 300 g Tenderstem broccoli
- 1 tsp Garlic Granules
- 1 tsp Onion Granules
- 1 tsp Dark soy sauce Dont worry if you dont have this on hand
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame oil To drizzle over at the end
- 1 Bunch Fresh corriander Maybe you call it cilantro
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds For garnish at the end
Instructions
- Prep tofu: Cut into triangles. Fry in oil until crispy. Add soy sauce to caramelise.
- Roast veg: Toss broccoli with onion & garlic granules, salt, & pepper. Roast until tender and slightly charred.
- Sauté & simmer broth: Sauté onion until softened. Add garlic and fry until fragrant. Dissolve stock cube and gochujang paste in water. Add to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with soy sauce to taste.
- Cook noodles & sear pak choi: Cook ramen noodles according to package directions. In a separate pan, sear halved pak choi until charred.
- Assemble & serve: Divide noodles into bowls. Top with broth, pak choi, broccoli, and tofu. Garnish with coriander, sesame seeds, and a drizzle of sesame oil.
Notes
- For extra crispy tofu, press it to remove excess moisture before cutting.
- Adjust spice level by using more or less Gochujang paste.
- Oven-roasting the pak choi along with the broccoli is an easy alternative to searing.