Ramen, yes that 98 cent packet of dried noodles and seasoning can be SO much more! Ramen is a cheap base for a really great meal- and with all the variations I am going to show you, Ramen will no longer be a bland last resort. In fact Ramen has origins beyond that little orange wrapper. It is a delicious soup that has word-wide popularity. In Japan street vendors make and sell delicious and fresh ramen, just like a hot dog vender would in New York City. However, that is not the type of ramen we will be working with, but we can make it as delicious- even though it may not be that fresh...
Simple and Cheap Additions to Ramen
Green Onions- cut off the root/stringy part at the bottom. wash and remove any gross layers. Then chop diagonally across until you have a pile of green and some white disks. After following the regular directions on the Ramen packet add as little or as much as you want of the green onions to the top of the bowl of soup. stir it in and enjoy!
Dried Seaweed- in most grocery stores there is the 'ethnic food' aisle or an 'asian food' aisle. look for any packet of dried seaweed (nagiri wrap)- usually pretty cheap $1-3. after you have completed making your soup take a sheet of seaweed and crumple it into the bowl. stir it around and it will re-hydrate in the bowl! mmm delicious
Egg- The first time I ever added extra ingredients to a bowl of ramen was when I learned how to make egg drop soup. Again after the soup is done cooking, but still in the pot/pan, is the time to add the egg. (you want the water to still be hot enough to cook the egg). Take your egg and beat it with a fork- as if preparing to make a scrambled egg or omelet- then pour the egg OVER the fork into the pan. so that the egg has to pass through or around the fork to get to the soup. move the fork around the pan as you pour the egg. Give it a few seconds then stir the soup to break up some of the egg. In my opinion this is the best cheap and easy addition to ramen.
Soy Sauce- To Taste.
Sambal (red chili paste) or Sriracha Hot Chili Paste (lovingly called 'Cock Sauce', due to the Rooster on the bottle)- To Taste.
Cilantro (fresh or dried)- Depending on how much you love cilantro (a lot, duh) is relative to how much you add. I say grab a handful and rip it up (or chop if you want to be all fancy) and throw it on top when you are done cooking. As for dried cilantro, I like to put that in at the beginning and end- just a few shakes is plenty.