Maybe i should preface this by saying i am not japanese and didn't grow up in a home eating a lot of authentic ramen. This is my atempt to compile what i understand in a way that will make it easier for people like me to make authentic style ramen a little more convient as a go to food. I am hoping in the future to not really need a recipe, but rather just know how to make ramen. This post is helping me compile what i know to help me get closer to that goal.
So lately i have been on a Japanese food kick. I have been watching Anime for a while, but i recently started really craving the food i see on the shows, Ramen and Curry in particular. It looks so good! I started googling recipes, to decide the perfect way for me to make ramen. I am being kind of bland with the toppings b/c i just want to make it with things i have on hand, and i don't keep bamboo shoots on hand... I was also unsure at first how i should make the broth. The Miso Ramen recipes all call for miso, a fermented bean paste, which i don't have, and the others all seemed to be make the broth by sauteeing the toppings then adding liquid. The one thing i know from anime is you add the noodles, pour on the broth, and then add all of the toppings, not cook the toppings into the broth. Well, that and you eat it with chopsticks/soup spoon ( one in each hand if you can manage it!). The more professional recipes require hours of boiling pork bones down to make a stock solution as the base of the broth. Once the stock is made, adding miso is still an option. My goal was to come up with a ramen recipe that didn't require a outlandish ingredients i haven't heard of, but that was still like ramen I have seen in anime. I have done a lot of reading on ramen recipes in order to accomplish that goal.
The basis for this broth is beef broth. A mix of soy sauce, and other seasonings complete the broth, and can be done to taste. Chili and sesame oils are common additions but that isn't something that i keep on hand, so chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder are my choice of seasonings. I also currently have Hon dashi granules on hand (gotten as a white elephant gift this past Christmas), so i will be added some as well until i run out. My brother loves sriracha hot sauce, which is something he could add to make his ramen more spicy.
Maybe if i want to make a more invested version of ramen i will make my own noodles, but for now the noodles i will be using are store bought. My aim right now is a simple, delicious meal.
For toppings all the websites say use what you have on hand. I will put a somewhat comprehensive list of common toppings, including what i commonly have on hand for this recipe.
Boiled Eggs
Green Onions
Slices of Meat (Barbequed, roasted or grilled then sliced pork, chicken or beef. Pork is the most common, but i keep chicken on hand the most. for more info google chashu)
ginger (pickled or fresh)
sliced bamboo shoots
bean sprouts
dried seaweed
fish cakes
corn
spinach
carrot slices
tofu
cabbage
peas
mushroom slices
Theses are all ideas, and feel free to try any other toppings to see if you like it. There is a lot of room for individual taste when making ramen.
Sources:
http://www.steamykitchen.com/15145-miso-ramen-recipe.html
http://norecipes.com/blog/tonkotsu-ramen-recipe/
http://shizuokagourmet.com/2009/11/23/ramen-tonkotsu-ramen-professional-recipe/
http://www.food.com/recipe/miso-ramen-soup-292646
