Ramen Noodles

How to Make Ramen Noodles

Other kinds of instant noodles can be made in about the same way as ramen. Ramen is an inexpensive, delicious meal that can be prepared in less than five minutes. Although many people use it as a topping for other things, such as chicken salads, or even normal salads, there are few things better than the classic ramen.

1. Use a decent-sized pot to cook your ramen in. This should be large enough to put the entire, unbroken ramen block into without having to break it. It should also be small enough so that two cups of water will completely cover the unbroken ramen block, and have a bit of water over it.
   
   
2. Pour two cups of water into the pot. You can substitute some other liquid for the water, such as soya sauce, or broth, but water will work as well.
   
   
3. Heat the pot. On most stoves, you should just turn the knob as high as it can go, and wait for the water to boil. On some, however, the stove will be too hot, and the pan will boil over. Experiment: if, during the cooking process, the pan starts to bubble over the top, just turn it down. Next time you make ramen, do not turn the stove on as high as it can go.
   
   
   • So long as the water is bubbling, its temperature is at the boiling point and it is circulating. A furious boil adds little and risks a boil-over, so feel free to turn down the heat a bit once boiling commences.
     
     
4. Add the ramen. At this point, the water should be at a full boil. Use a fork to push the block under the water if it is floating on the top. You can chose to break the block into chunks before adding it, if you prefer shorter, less slurp-able noodles, but it is a personal thing.
   
   
5. Stir well. If you want to even out the cooking process and speed it up by keeping uncooked stragglers from the surface, help stir apart the noodles.
   
   
6. Wait. Three minutes is the normal cooking time, it may take longer, though. When the noodles are starting to turn slightly yellow, they are done. At this point, the ramen should be completely broken apart, and, when you put your fork in the water, a few noodles attach themselves to your fork.
   
   
   • The ramen is ready to eat when it is flexible. If it cooks a few minutes longer, it will become softer, fatter, and translucent. You may prefer it this way.
     
     
7. Add the flavor packet. Note that there is a very large amount of sodium  in the small packet- if you have health problems, it would be better to add less, or none at all.
   
   
8. Stir well. At this point, you can do one of two things: you can pour the entire pot of ramen, including all of the liquid, into a bowl, and have a soup, or drain the water, and just eat the ramen.