“Tantanmen” is originally from Shichuan, in China, which is a type of ramen noodle dish without soup.
Japanese-style Tantanmen is a bit different from the original ramen dish, and the noodles are commonly served with spicy ground meat topping and rich nutty creamy soup.
Tantanmen is definitely the Japanese ramen you want to try when you are looking for a new flavor and you will be obsessed with the sesame-seasoned soup (peanut butter in this recipe) and the spicy ground pork topping.
The Creamy Nutty TANTAN Soup
When you want to make “Tantanmen”, what’ll you need for the savory nutty creamy soup?
For the essential to make “Tantan” soup, you’ll need sesame seed paste somehow.
Yet, peanut butter in your pantry can be a great substitute for sesame seed paste, you have no problem using it for this recipe.
Yet, I think I have to mention the sesame seed paste that the common authentic recipe tells you to use it.
You can use Japanese sesame paste called “Nerigoma”, of course, (because this is about a Japanese home cooking blog,) however, “tahini” is much easier to get to you.
Without the soup powder, the soup tastes like something missing-kind of a brant.
In Japanese home cooking, we often use “Chinese chicken soup powder” for Chinese fusion dishes.
It is OK to use your regular chicken soup stock if it’s not available, yet, I prefer to use Chinese chicken soup powder for ramen noodles.
Toppings
Japanese-style Tantanmen is commonly topped with spicy stirred ground pork instead of iconic Chashu pork.
Ground pork brings a rich Umami flavor (because it is rich in fat!) and also the pork always goes well with Japanese (Asian) condiments-such as soy sauce, miso paste, and more.
Yet, you can use your favorite ground meat-beef, pork & beef mix, or chicken.
When you have prepared ground meat topping, you can serve a bowl of TANTANMEN easily and quickly on the table for lunch or dinner!
NIKUMISO is a popular meal-prep item in Japan which is stir-fried ground meat such as pork, chicken, or pork&beef mix with plenty of minced garlic and ginger, and miso paste.
Surely, the hint of this popular flavored ground meat is from Chinese dishes.
It is added with sugar so that NIKUMISO is a savory sweet miso flavor (also it is addictive), moreover, you can make it spicy while adding chili peppers or chili paste.
NIKUMISO is actually a super-versatile item besides delicious, easy to make, and will last for 5 days in a fridge and 2 months in a freezer.
Let’s click here to jump to “NIKUMISO” recipe!
Despite Japanese-style tantanmen being topped with spicy ground pork, you can still use your choice of topping!
Here is my Tantanmen topped with Chashu pork.
I have Chashu recipes made of pork shoulder, pork belly, and chicken breast.
Check them out if you’re interested.
Menma is a staple ramen noodle topping, which has an appealing crunchy texture and sweet soy-saucy bamboo shoots.
The recipe is not complicated. Super-easy to make.
Ramen eggs- the iconic Chashu sauce-marinated eggs (yellow jammy melty yolks!) on ramen noodle soup are super-easy made while making pork Chashu at home.
The authentic tangy-sweet eggs in the traditional ingredient made of Chashu Sauce are introduced in this post.
Layu Chili Oil
La-yu is chili oil made of hot chili peppers, roasted sesame oil, and other exotic spices, which is often used to add spicy and sesame oil’s aroma to gyoza dipping sauce, ramen soup, mainly Chinese dishes, and tofu dishes in Japan.
There are many recipes, yet, Layu is seemed to make by simmering several kinds of chili peppers, garlic, ginger, and other spices in oil.
Japanese La-yu has the iconic red color and is not super spicy-with well-balanced aromatic sesame oil and mild chili flavor.
Simple, Easy, But Supreme Savory Flavorful Japanese Layu.
You can find the Layu products easily in grocery stores, but,
Please try to make this Layu if your traditional Layu is not enough.
Ramen Noodles
Any type of noodles can be used, well, it is a good thing about “home cooking” isn’t it?
Fortunately, in this era, you can get authentic fresh ramen noodles on Amazon!
However, do you know that you can make chewy Ramen noodles from Spaghetti pasta???
Simply, add salt and baking soda to the boiled water.
Do you want to know this magic?
Check out this post later!
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
Hoisin sauce is commonly used in Cantonese cuisine, the rich sweet thick paste, made of fermented doy bean paste and other ingredients.
hoisin sauce can add a rich sweet miso-like flavor to the soup, it’s gonna be a handy condiment if you already have one.
Hoisin sauce in this recipe is not a super essential condiment, honestly, and miso paste or oyster sauce will be a good substitute for Hoisin sauce.
Add 1 tsp of sugar or honey when you using these substitutes.
Gochujang originated in Korean Peninsula and is a sticky fermented soybean paste with spicy, sweet, and more complex flavors.
It can be used for any kind of dish including as the dipping sauce when you want to add spicy, sweet, and rich Umami flavor to the dish.
Doubanjiang or Sichuan sauce is a traditional Chinese condiment that is made of fermented broad beans and tastes a pungent, salty flavor.
Cooking this traditional condiment with oil enhances the original flavor, and is the essential seasoning for Sichuan cuisine.
If you want the authentic spicy flavor instantly, cook 1 TSP of Doubanjang with minced garlic and ginger, then, stir your choice of ground meat.
Skip Chinese five spices when adding Doubanjiang.
Japanese Style TANTANMEN Recipe: Spicy Creamy Ramen
Ingredients
- 4.2-4.4 oz Ramen noodles *See the post
- Your choice of vegetable toppings
- homemade "Menma" bamboo Shoots *See the post
- ½ boiled egg or Nitamago ramen egg *See the post
For The Spicy Meat Topping
- 0.4 lb ground pork (beef/chicken/mixed)
- ¼ cup scallions, minced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ TSP garlic, minced
- ½ TSP ginger, minced
- red chili pepper, sliced or minced *fresh or dried
- ¼ TSP Chinese five spices
- ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- ½ tbsp hoisin sauce
- ½ tbsp Sake/white wine
For The Ramen Soup
- 1½ cup boiled water
- ½ cup milk /soy milk
- ¼ TSP Chinese chicken soup powder
- 1 tbsp unsweetened peanut butter/ tahini
- 1 tbsp Japanese dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp miso paste
- 1 TSP sugar *you can skip the sugar
- 1 TSP gochujang *Korean spicy miso paste
- ¼ TSP grated ginger
- ¼ TSP grated garlic
Instructions
Make The Meat Topping
- [OPTION] Make NIKUMISO ground meat if desired. *the NIKUMISO miso-flavored ground meat recipe
- [OR] In a skillet, add minced garlic, minced ginger, minced chili peppers, and oil. Cook the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
- Add ground pork and stir well until browned. Add minced scallions, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Chinese five spices, and sake/ white wine, and continue cooking the meat until combined well. Set aside.
Cook The Noodles
- Cook the ramen noodles following the instructions. *If you want to convert Spaghetti pasta to ramen noodles, (yes, it is possible!) read this post.
- Rinse the noodles with cold water, drain and set them aside.
Make The Ramen Noodle Soup
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water and Chinese chicken stock to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Turn the heat down to medium or low heat. Add milk, grated ginger & garlic, and sugar, and simmer until the soup gets boiled.
- Add soy sauce, miso paste, gochujang, and peanut butter. Stir well until they are dissolved over low heat.
Assemble The Ramen Noodle Soup
- Preferably, warm the ramen bowl with boiled water while making the soup and noodles.Dump the water before serving.
- Add the ramen noodles, and pour the soup over the noodles.
- Top with spicy meat, your choice of vegetables, homemade Menma bamboo shoots, NItamago egg, and minced scallions (or chives, cilantro). *How to make "menma" bamboo shoots*How to make "nitamago" ramen eggs
- Need more hot spicy flavor? Add Layu chili oil. *Homemade Layu recipe
