Ramen is an iconic Japanese dish that's really comforting to eat - a hot bowl of flavourful broth served with springy noodles and toppings like eggs, meat, seaweed and more. Traditionally in Japan, ramen is often made using pork (in the broth or served on top) while also containing ingredients that have alcohol such as mirin and sake. It also takes a long and complicated process to create the dish from start to finish ?But it's not impossible to create a tasty bowl of ramen broth and noodles for yourself at home using halal ingredients! We have a recipe for halal ramen made with chicken that will satisfy all your cravings - so if you've ever wondered how to make halal ramen, let's get right into it.
Ingredients (serves 2)
For the chicken broth (do note that we're making our chicken broth from scratch, but if you're not in the mood for that you can skip this step and opt for your go-to chicken stock cube or concentrate. But the flavour of homemade chicken broth will make the dish a lot yummier!):
- 1.2 litres of water
- 500g chicken wings
- 1 chicken breast (this is to slice and serve on top of the ramen later)
- 2 scallions, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 6 slices of ginger
- Chicken bouillon cube or stock concentrate
- 2 x 8-inch pieces of kombu (kombu is dried kelp/seaweed that's a staple in a lot of Japanese cooking. You can find kombu available online on platforms such as Shopee Malaysia or Shopee Singapore. You can also sometimes find them at select supermarkets in the dry goods aisle).
- Oil for sauteeing
For the tare sauce (the seasoning base sauce for a bowl of ramen):
- ¼ cup shoyu (or use light soy sauce if you cannot find halal shoyu)
- 2 tbsp mirin-style seasoning (available on Shopee Malaysia or Shopee Singapore. Alternatively, use 2 tbsp of rice vinegar and 1 tsp of sugar)
- 1 garlic, minced
- ½ inch ginger, minced
- Roasted sesame oil for sauteeing (if you don't have this, just use olive oil or any oil you have).
For the chicken topping marinade:
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp water
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 slice of ginger, minced
Toppings & other ingredients
- Ramen noodles of your choice
- Any protein of your choice - sliced roasted chicken or beef
- Soft-boiled eggs (or you can make ramen eggs - check out this recipe from Just One Cookbook!).
- Scallions, finely sliced
- Any other toppings of your choice (e.g. roasted seaweed, roasted sesame seeds, blanched vegetables, etc.)
Directions
- Start by making the broth. In a large pot, heat 2 - 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the chicken wings and stir-fry for 5 minutes until lightly brown. Add the water, chicken breast, garlic, ginger, spring onion, chicken bouillon cube and kombu. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover the pot with a lid and let simmer. After 20 minutes, remove the chicken breast and set aside. Cover and continue to simmer for about 1 - 2 hours. You can skim the surface to remove any excess fat that floats to the top as you let your broth simmer. Add more water if needed. Once cooked, adjust seasoning to taste. Strain the entire mixture through a colander so you end up with the broth. Keep the broth in a separate pot so it's easy to heat up later when you're ready to serve.
- In the meantime, make the tare. heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and ginger and saute it until fragrant. Add the soy sauce, and mirin-style seasoning (or rice vinegar and sugar). Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain and set aside.
- Time to make your toppings. For the chicken topping, pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Take the chicken breast you had set aside earlier and slice into medium pieces. In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients and mix. Add the chicken and mix well, ensuring all the chicken pieces are coated. Tip the entire mixture to a small baking pan and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
- Prepare your ramen noodles and your other toppings of choice. Re-heat your broth so until it comes to boil.
- It's time to assemble your ramen! In each bowl, add 2 -3 tablespoons of the tare. Add about 1.5 - 2 cups of the broth, and mix everything together. You can taste and further adjust your broth seasonings to your liking if you wish! Add your ramen noodles, then top with the chicken pieces and the rest of your toppings.
Notes:
- You can skip making the chicken topping and use whatever protein you fancy that's prepared separately - e.g. breaded chicken cutlets to steak, eggs, tofu, fishcakes, prawns etc.
- Making the broth from scratch using the chicken helps build up the rich flavour, but if you can't be bothered to go through the whole process, just use your favourite chicken stock to make enough chicken broth as needed (though making the broth from scratch is often more flavourful!).
- For ramen noodles, you can often find fresh ramen noodles in the refrigerated section at supermarkets, or you can opt for dried ramen noodles too. Prepare the ramen noodles according to the packet instructions separately.
And there you have it! A shoyu ramen recipe that will be sure to hit the spot. Make this and let the flavours transport you to Japan!