Tan Tan Ramen, or tantanmen, is a delicious, spicy ramen topped with stir-fried pork and blanched greens. It has a delightful, creamy broth, with an earthy umami flavor made with gochujang (chili paste) and sesame paste (tahini). Tantanmen is Japan’s play on Dan Dan Mian, a Chinese noodle dish that is very similar, though lacking the broth and more like a saucy stir fry. Tan Tan Ramen is a great winter meal, spicy and filling. Despite its Tokyo restaurant-quality deliciousness, it’s quick and easy to make at home.
On the Ingredients
- Mirin is a type of rice wine used in Japanese cooking. Along with soy sauce and sake, it is one of the three staple seasonings in Japanese cuisine. Unlike sake, mirin is mildly sweet, due to the fermentation process. Mirin has a low alcohol content that quickly evaporates during cooking.
- Gochujang is a fermented sweet and spicy condiment from Korea. It’s made with chili, glutenous rice, soybean powder, barley malt powder, and salt. Gochujang can vary greatly in heat and even has its own heat scale called GHU (gochujang hot-taste units), ranked from 0 (mild) to 100 (Extreme hot). In flavor, gochujang is earthy and mildly sweet. It’s used in classic Korean dishes such as bibimbap and tteokbokki.
- Tahini is a condiment from the Middle East made from ground toasted sesame seeds. It has an earthy flavor and is slightly bitter, though not overwhelming. It has a richness to dishes and a boost of healthy fats. Tahini has antioxidants and may have anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also good for your kidneys, liver, and bone health. (Read more about the health benefits.)
Spicy Tan Tan Ramen
4
servings10
minutes30
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minutesTan Tan Ramen, or tantanmen, is a delicious, spicy ramen topped with stir-fried pork and blanched greens. It has a delightful, creamy broth, with an earthy umami flavor made with gochujang (chili paste) and sesame paste (tahini). Tantanmen is Japan’s play on Dan Dan Mian, a Chinese noodle dish that is very similar, though lacking the broth and more like a saucy stir fry. Tan Tan Ramen is a great winter meal, spicy and filling. Despite its Tokyo restaurant-quality deliciousness, it’s quick and easy to make at home.
Ingredients
1 lb ground pork
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp ginger (grated)
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp gochujang
4 cloves garlic (minced)
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp tahini
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar or monkfruit sweetener
2 tbsp chili oil (or more for very spicy)
4 cups chicken stock (low sodium)
4 cups soy milk (unsweetened)
4 portions of fresh ramen noodles
(or gluten-free alternative)
4 portions of leafy greens
(spinach, bok choy, kale, etc)
3 scallions (chopped)
Directions
- Mix the ground pork with ginger and mirin. Let the meat marinate for 30 minutes.
- Mix together the soy sauce, tahini, rice vinegar, sweetener, and chili oil in a bowl. This mixture is the “tare” (tah-reh), the sauce that flavors the broth. Set the tare aside.
- Blanch the leafy greens in boiling water, then soak in cold water until ready to use. Set aside.
- Heat sesame oil over a medium-high flame in a wok or skillet, then add the pork. Break up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. When the pork browns, add the gochujang and minced garlic. Cook another minute, then set aside.
- Combine the chicken stock and soy milk in a saucepan and heat until hot but not yet boiling. If you let it boil, the milk may curdle! Once hot, set aside.
- Cook your noodles as the package instructs. Divide the broth between 4 large soup bowls, then divide the tare between them, stirring to mix.
- Place 1 portion of noodles in each bowl, then top with the pork and greens. Finally, garnish with chopped scallions. Eat soon, so the noodles don’t get soggy. Remember, slurping encouraged while eating ramen!
