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Ramen Reimagined

Kathleen Tso

The comfort of the East, ramen has become an integral part of our modernized culture and taste palette. We asked Austin-based food connoisseur Tyna Hoang to reinterpret the traditional dish in five different ways. From Texas barbecue to Italian-fusion, here are Tyna’s mouth-watering recipes.

SOUTHERN-FRIED CHICKEN
+ 1 package Instant Ramen noodles
+ Chicken broth
+ Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
+ Sautéed collard greens
+ Cooked corn kernels
+ Chicken strips

Bring broth to a boil, add Tony Chachere’s and season to taste. Add ramen noodles and cook for four minutes. Top with greens, corn and chopped chicken strips.

MISO SHIRO
+ 1 package Instant Ramen noodles
+ Chopped garlic
+ Enoki mushrooms
+ Shimeji mushrooms
+ Baby bok choy
+ Grated ginger
+ Sesame oil
+ Nori flakes

Cook ramen noodles in boiling water for three minutes and drain. Stir in on tsp. miso shiro paste. Sauté mushrooms and bok choy with garlic and ginger. Top ramen with veggies, nori flakes and drizzle with sesame oil.

ALLA CARBONARA
+ 1 package Instant Ramen noodles
+ 1 pancetta, diced
+ Quail egg yolk
+ Grated Parmesan
+ Fresh cracked pepper

Cook ramen noodles in boiling water for three minutes and drain. Cook pancetta in a pan until crispy, add cooked noodles and toss. Top with grated Parmesan and egg yolk. Sprinkle with cracked pepper. Stir well.

BBQ PULLED PORK
+ 1 package Instant Ramen noodles
+ Pulled pork
+ Chopped red and green cabbage
+ Sliced purple onion
+ Sliced radish
+ Olive oil
+ Apple cider vinegar
+ Sesame seeds
+ Salt and pepper

Cook Instant Ramen as directed sans seasoning. Make slaw by mixing together cabbages, onion, radish and half teaspoon each of olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top ramen with pulled pork, slaw and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
+ 1 package Instant Ramen noodles
+ Chicken broth
+ Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
+ Diced tomatoes
+ Cooked shredded chicken
+ Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
+ Tortilla chips
+ Cilantro
+ Avocado
+ Lime

Bring broth to a boil, add tomatoes and chipotle peppers with adobo sauce. Add ramen noodles and cook for four minutes. Top with chicken, cheese, cilantro, avocado, chips and a squeeze of lime.

PAN-FRIED WITH STIR FRY
+ 1 package Instant Ramen noodles
+ Chopped garlic
+ Snap peas
+ Sliced carrots
+ Chopped sweet onion
+ Sliced steak
+ Teriyaki sauce

Cook ramen noodles in boiling water for three minutes and drain. In a pan, heat oil and add ramen noodles arranging evenly. Cook six minutes on each side on medium-low heat or until set and crispy. Remove from pan and set aside. Sauté steak with chopped garlic, add veggies and teriyaki sauce. Top crispy ramen with stir fry.

Thanks for reading and being a part of the Banana community! While we stay put to combat the COVID-19 pandemic together, the Banana team wants to be a resource for you to stay inspired, hopeful, and creative. We'll be curating stories from our past issues every week to rediscover our ambitions and to remind ourselves to, even during these tough times, stay positive and celebrate the moments that bring us happiness and pride.

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