Tantanmen is a Japanese take on dan dan noodles, or dandanmian, a popular noodle dish in Chinese Sichuan cuisine. There are four important components in dan dan noodles: spicy chile oil, a savory meat mixture, a nutty sauce, and wheat noodles with leafy vegetables. Unlike dan dan noodles, which don’t have any broth, Japanese tantanmen typically comes with a flavorful broth. Every time I sip this nutty, spicy broth, I can’t help but smile and forget all my worries. It sounds cheesy, but that’s the power of good broth, especially tantanmen.
This recipe is an instant way to create the spicy, nutty flavors of tantanmen. It starts with my absolute favorite brand of instant noodles, Shin Ramyun, which has addictively spicy flavors that complement chile crisp well. When assembling tantanmen, the savory meat mixture and broth are prepared separately. But in this dish, everything happens in one pot so that the broth can develop even deeper flavors. The tahini and soy milk combination adds nutty, savory flavors and creates a rich, creamy broth in minutes.
I love to dollop chile crisp on Korean instant ramyun to bring different types of heat to the broth, and this is just another delicious way to use chile crisp to level up instant ramyun. If you love things that are both spicy and creamy, this easy recipe is for you. — James Park
Instant Tan Tan Shin Ramyun Recipe
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola
1 pound ground pork
3 green onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 (4.2-ounce) packages Shin Ramyun or any spicy ramyun noodles, including seasoning packets (powdered seasoning and dehydrated vegetables)
1 tablespoon gochujang
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons chile crisp, plus more for serving
2 cups chicken broth (or any type of broth)
2 cups soy milk
3 heads baby bok choy
Instructions:
Step 1: Add enough water to a large pot to submerge the eggs and bring to a boil; prepare a bowl with ice-cold water. Add the eggs to the boiling water and cook for 61⁄2 minutes. Transfer the eggs to the prepared ice bath to shock and stop the cooking. Peel the soft-boiled eggs and set them aside.
Step 2: In a heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and cook the pork for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it’s no longer pink. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the green part of the chopped green onions, add the rest to the pot with the pork, along with the garlic, and saute for a few minutes, or until fragrant. Season the meat with the mirin, soy sauce, one entire powdered seasoning packet, and gochujang and continue to cook until most of the moisture has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 3: Once the ground pork mixture is seasoned and slightly crisped, add the onion, followed by the tahini and chile crisp. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Add the chicken broth and soy milk to the pot. Add only half of another powdered seasoning packet and both of the dried vegetable season- ing packets. Bring to a boil, then add the noodles and constantly lift them up and down in the boiling broth until fully cooked, about 4 minutes or the cooking time for the noodles listed on the package. After the first 2 minutes of cooking the noodles, add the bok choy.
Step 5: Divide the noodles between two bowls and garnish with the reserved green onions, the soft-boiled eggs, and an extra drizzle of chile crisp on top. Serve immediately.
NOTES: The noodles will absorb the broth during cooking. If you want a brothier ramyun, cook the noodles separately. Then, assemble the dish by adding the cooked noodles to the bowls first, then pouring the broth on top and garnishing.
There are so many creative uses for Shin Ramyun seasoning powder. You can make this recipe again with your choice of noodles or use the seasoning packet to season your meat and veggies. You can even use it as an ingredient to make your chile crisp blend. The seasoning already has spices and flavors, which will be a great addition to chile crisp!
Excerpted with permission from Chili Crisp: 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings by James Park, 2023. Published by Chronicle Books. Photographs by Heami Lee, copyright ©2024.
