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Cooking Instant Ramen: Microwave Edition
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Time to learn how to microwave Nissin’s Top Ramen! (0g trans fat guaranteed!)Last time I wrote about the most common way of making instant ramen: boiling water, pouring it, done. However, you may have noticed that cooking your ramen this way will leave them a little uncooked and without much flavor. Actually, I almost never cook ramen this way, but instead use my special instant ramen noodles microwave formula ^^; I even took pictures of my ramen!
By the way, the ramen above is the cheapest brand that I could find, since it’s not too spicy and perfect for the newbie. Last time I tried those noodles they didn’t taste bad at all, and for a meager US 50 cents / ¥50 equivalent nothing bad can happen I suppose. Here’s another brand that I had that’s more spicy and costs a bit more:
Oh, and in case you didn’t know, Instant Ramen is a multi-billion dollar industry. Anyway, let’s get started! You’ll need:
- Instant Ramen ^^
- Microwave oven
- Microwave-safe container (compatible with XP or Mac), preferrably with a lid
Step One: Open the Ramen!
Step one is pretty straightforward, open the ramen and add the spices. Remember that some brands (specially Korean ones) contain too much spice and I would recommend adding half the package if you’ve never tried a particular brand before.
Don’t add too much water, just enough to cover about half of the noodles. The noodles will loosen up after the first microwaving, so there’s no need to cover them completely.
Step Two: Microwave!
The key to good microwave ramen depends on how much water you add and how much you microwave it. First, microwave the ramen for about two minutes on high:
熱いから気をつけて！(Be careful! Hot! ^^)Now take them out. The ramen should be loose by now, with a little brown cooked aspect, but not too much. Grab your chopsticks (you do have one set don’t you?) and stir the noodles.
Now microwave the noodles for two more minutes. Preferably use a partial lid, but be advised that it will spill all over your microwave. Quickly clean the mess since it will stick to the surface real fast ^^
The ramen is now much more cooked and light-brown. Again, stir the noodles. Give them a try, and you’ll see that the noodles have absorbed lots of water and flavor. If you like them this way go ahead and eat them, but I personally prefer them even more cooked. They taste great so I recommend two more minutes on the microwave.
The instant ramen should be deliciously cooked by now. Stir them once more and you’ll see that much of the water has been absorbed, and the noodles are thouroughly cooked. It’s hot so give it a while before eating.
Step Three: Itadakimasu!
いただきま～す！ (Photo: Mun Keat Looi)Let’s dig in! Don’t forget that Ramen tastes better with chopsticks, and as I said before, better practice and master them in the privacy of your home and then brag about your technique to your friends ^^ not my case since I’ve been eating with chopsticks since I was born though. Anyway, my serving was not too great but still enjoyed it (for 50 cents that is). My final technique is using the wok, which really is another dimension of instant ramen, I’ll try doing that soon enough, so don’t forget to subscribe to Instant Ramen via RSS or email ^^!
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Comments for this article (5)
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Tasty~
Its not so much that I love instant ramen as the fact that I’m an unemployed college student that makes me eat instant ramen so much.
I’m more of the “cook it on the stove” kinda guy. It just tastes better, no matter the brand! My mother and sister both do the boil water and pour method. They really don’t taste good that way. THEY DON’T EVEN COVER IT! I’m going to have to try the “microwave” version though. Being in my dorm without a stove… it’s a little hard to cook instant ramen the way that I like. But still… instant ramen has NOTHING on a good bowl of ramen from a ramen shop.
Shichi: Yeah, same happened to me as a student. Though for a strange reason, I sometimes miss those days ^^
Ikari: Same here with my family, they always boil water and don’t even wait long enough, mazui! I’d like to add that I prefer stove/wok instant ramen but this microwave alternative will also taste good, I guarantee it! :D
Oh and I agree, real ramen owns instant ramen. Still I have to fight for the name of my blog! ^o^;
Never tried it in the microwave, but I would prefer the stove-top method. I make sure my Ramen is thoroughly cooked by leaving it on a few minutes longer. Even when it’s perfect, I have a bit of a time getting the water level right for the flavoring. :(
When I was in college, I ate too much ramen. they have finally created a delicious and healthy alternative to instant ramen. They use a vegetable called Moroheiya and mix it with flour to create GreeNoodle. No MSG, No Preservatives, and it’s non-fried. Try Google-ing “GreeNoodle”