Easy Tantanmen Ramen

easy tantanmen ramen recipe


Tantanmen is a delicious type of ramen, a Japanese noodle dish inspired by the Chinese dandan mian. It’s a creamy, slightly spicy bowl that’s surprisingly easy to make. The dish is made up of noodles, a rich broth, and toppings like seasoned ground meat with garlic and ginger, blanched pak choi, soft-boiled egg, spring onion, bean sprouts, mushrooms…

In tantanmen, everything comes down to the broth, it’s where all the flavor is concentrated. The broth delivers the perfect balance of spice, creaminess, and umami. It starts with a tare, a concentrated seasoning or sauce (often salty and full of umami), added to the bottom of the bowl before pouring in a hot mixture of meat broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version) and soy milk. Then come the noodles and toppings.

Ramen noodles are typically made from wheat and have a slightly firm texture. You can easily find them in Asian grocery stores, either fresh or dried — and more and more often in supermarkets.

Toppings usually include ground meat seasoned with garlic, ginger, and chili, blanched pak choi, a soft-boiled egg, and chopped spring onion. You can also add bean sprouts, mushrooms, and other favorites.


For the broth :

  • 1.5 liters chicken broth

  • 500 ml unsweetened soy milk

  • 400 g fresh ramen noodles

  • 4 small bok choy (or pak choi), halved lengthwise

  • 2 soft-boiled eggs, halved

  • Sliced spring onion (scallions), for garnish

For the spicy pork :

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 300 g ground pork (can also be ground beef, tofu, or chicken)

  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated

  • 2 tablespoons doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste, common in Sichuan cuisine). You can also use gochujang, oyster sauce, or any other chili paste

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon sake

For the tare (seasoning base for the broth) :

  • 4 tablespoons sesame paste (Japanese, Chinese, or tahini works well; some even use peanut butter)

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar or rice vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons chili oil

Preparation :

1. Spicy Pork Preparation

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic, pork, and ginger. Stir-fry until the pork is almost cooked. Add the soy sauce and sake to deglaze the pan. Stir in the doubanjiang paste, reduce the heat, and cook until the sauce is almost fully absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Tare Preparation (seasoning paste for the broth)

In a small bowl, mix together the sesame paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil. Set aside.

3. Soup Preparation

Pour the chicken broth and soy milk into a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

4. Cooking the Noodles and Bok Choy

Cook the ramen noodles and bok choy in boiling water until tender.

5. Assembly

Divide the tare (seasoning paste) among serving bowls. Pour the hot soup over it, stirring well to combine the flavors. Divide the ramen noodles between the bowls, then add the spicy pork, bok choy, and sliced spring onions. Add half a soft-boiled egg to each bowl and serve. You can add other toppings such as spinach, mushrooms, or bean sprouts.

For extra heat, drizzle some chili oil on top just before serving.

 

Delicious !