The instant curry ramen we have in our pantry doesn’t taste like chicken curry at all. The broth isn’t creamy and there’s no distinctive chicken flavor. So, my daughter did things to it and this is the result.
Yes, with imagination and a pantry stocked with Asian seasonings, it is possible to turn a pack of mediocre chicken curry ramen into a meal that says, “This was cooked with thoughtfulness and love.”
The broth is a combination of chicken stock, the seasonings that came in the packet and a few other ingredients that include soy sauce. And joining the noodles in the bowl are white shimeji blanched in the broth, chicken katsu (cut into strips for convenient dining), scallions and grated cheese. As the cheese melts into the steaming broth, the liquid turns creamier and tastier.
Instant Chicken Curry Ramen
Ingredients
- 1 pack instant curry ramen
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 60 grams fresh mushrooms recommended: shimeji, enoki or shiitake
- soy sauce to taste
- ketchup for color and flavor
- chili flakes if more bite is called for
- 1 chicken katsu cut into half-inch strips
- ¼ cup grated cheese divided
- 2 tablespoons sliced scallions
Instructions
- Boil water in a pan and drop in the noodles from the pack.
- In another pan, heat the chicken broth.
- Find the seasoning packet from the pack of instant noodles and stir into the broth.
- When the broth boils, blanch the mushrooms for 30 seconds and scoop out.
- Stir just enough soy sauce, ketchup and chili flakes to the broth to get the taste and color that you prefer.
- Drain the noodles and dump into a bowl.
- Arrange the blanched mushrooms on one side of the bowl and the sliced chicken katsu beside it.
- Pour in broth to almost cover the noodles.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese over the noodles.
- Sprinkle in the scallions and serve immediately.
