I’ve been enjoying ramen since childhood, when I would smash the “oodles of noodles” against the counter, breaking them up inside their orange packaging, before microwaving the sad and broken bits of noodle with far too much water and a chicken flavor packet. Yum. 

In high school, my mom would make ramen with thai red chili paste, coconut milk, lime leaves, and a dash of sugar to tie the flavors in, topped with bean sprouts for a fresh crunch amidst the nose runningly spicy soup. 

Since living alone, I’ve experimented with the seemingly infinite methods of cooking the traditional Japanese dish, combining techniques from Thai peanut noodles and Korean kujirai ramen to create this effortlessly delicious version of your favorite college meal. 

Notes: I prefer to use crunchy peanut butter for some added texture, but creamy is fine as well, and you will use more or less water depending on your stovetop/how reduced your peanut sauce is.

Ingredients:

• 3 tsp sesame or olive oil
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp ginger powder
• 2 cups filtered water (approximately)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp gound oregano
• ½ tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp dried cilantro
• ½ tbsp and 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 heaping tbsp peanut butter
• 1 pack of Top Ramen (flavor packet optional)
• 1 egg (optional)
• chopped green onion (optional garnish) 
  

Process: In a wok or non-stick frying pan, heat the sesame oil on a medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and ginger powder, stirring the sizzling spices until fragrant. 

Once the spices have been tempered, add a half cup of water, pouring it slowly down the sides of your pan to reduce oil splattering. Stir to combine and bring to a rapid simmer.

Add garlic powder, oregano, basil, cilantro, soy sauce, and peanut butter, stirring to combine. 

By now, your sauce should be bubbling and thick. To keep it from over-reducing or caramelizing, stir the sauce constantly, adding water ¼ c at a time (reserving ½ c for later). Add the Top Ramen spice packet. 

Crack an egg into the center of the sauce. Tilting the pan with one hand, use your spatula to spoon the bubbling peanut sauce over the egg yolk until you see the membrane around the yolk turning a translucent white. Scoop the egg out when it has reached your desired doneness and set aside. 

Now, add your last ½ c water to the sauce, stirring and bringing to a low boil before adding the ramen. Move the square of dry noodles around in the sauce, flipping it over after a minute. Keep the noodles moving around; they will loosen from their packaged shape, allowing you to seperate the individual noodles as you stir. 

Once your noodles have been steaming in the sauce for a while, they will soften and become easy to move around. 

Stir and coat the noodles evenly in the sauce, leaving little sauce in the pan. The noodles should be chewy, but cooked through. 

At this stage, I like to flatten the noodles into a little pancake, allowing the underside to crisp, mixing and repeating to desired texture. 

Top with an egg (and a dusting of cayenne for added heat) and green onions. Serve immediately or enjoy the noodles chilled with a squeeze of lime juice.