Japanese Curry Ramen Recipe

Blanch bones

Place pork bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rapid boil for 8–10 minutes to remove impurities. Drain bones and discard blanching water; rinse bones and pot.

Simmer broth

Return cleaned bones to the pot, add 4 liters fresh water, halved onion, smashed garlic, and crushed ginger. Add kombu. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, skimming foam occasionally. Simmer gently for 4–6 hours (longer for richer broth). Remove kombu after 30 minutes to prevent bitterness.

Finish dashi note

With 30 minutes left of simmering, add the dried bonito flakes. Continue simmering for remaining time, then strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot. Discard solids. Add salt, 3 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp mirin; adjust seasoning to taste. Keep hot.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add finely diced onion and sweat until translucent and soft, 6–8 minutes. Add minced garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more.

Stir in curry powder, garam masala and curry roux (or flour). Cook 1–2 minutes to bloom spices, stirring to prevent sticking. Gradually add 1 cup stock while whisking to create a smooth paste. Simmer 3–4 minutes until thickened. Stir in 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp salt. Taste and adjust — this will be concentrated; set aside and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C) or prepare a low simmer on stovetop in a deep pan. In a pot or ovenproof pan, combine 1 cup soy sauce, 1 cup mirin, 1/2 cup sake, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp brown sugar, smashed garlic and sliced ginger. Bring to a simmer to dissolve sugar.

Sear the rolled pork belly on all sides in a hot skillet with 1 tbsp vegetable oil to color. Add seared pork to the braising liquid, cover, and braise in oven for 2.5–3 hours or simmer gently on stove for same time, turning once, until very tender.

Remove pork from braising liquid and let rest until cool enough to handle. Refrigerate in braising liquid for at least 2 hours (overnight preferred) to firm for neat slicing. Remove, discard twine, and dice into 1/2-inch cubes. Reserve some strained braising liquid to warm and spoon over chashu when serving.

Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil. Gently lower eggs and boil for 6 minutes for jammy yolk. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath.

When timer is up, transfer eggs to ice bath for 5 minutes to stop cooking. Peel carefully and place peeled eggs in a zip-top bag or container with 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup mirin, 1/2 cup water and 1 tsp sugar. Marinate in refrigerator for 2–8 hours. Halve eggs just before serving.

If wakame is dried, soak in cold water 5–10 minutes, then drain and squeeze excess water. If using canned/jarred menma (bamboo shoots), drain and rinse briefly. Warm corn if using frozen or fresh.

Bring a separate large pot of water to a rolling boil for noodles. Cook fresh ramen according to package (usually 90 seconds to 3 minutes) until just al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the hot noodle cooking water if needed. Drain noodles well.

Warm chashu cubes briefly in saucepan with a splash of reserved braising liquid or in microwave 20–30 seconds; keep warm.

For each bowl (serves 4 total): place 1 tbsp of the curry tare into the bottom of a serving bowl (adjust 1–2 tbsp by taste for stronger curry). Ladle about 2 cups (approx. 480 ml) hot pork broth into the bowl and whisk to dissolve the curry tare into the broth until evenly combined. Add 1/2 tsp sesame oil to each bowl.

Add cooked ramen noodles to the broth. Top each bowl with a portion of diced chashu (about 3–4 oz per bowl), half a marinated egg, 1/4 cup menma, 3 tbsp corn, a small pinch (about 1 tbsp) of wakame, sliced scallions, and 1 sheet of nori cut into strips. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp itokiri togarashi or shichimi per bowl (or to taste). Finish with a crack of black pepper.

Serve immediately while hot. Provide extra curry tare, soy sauce, or togarashi at the table for adjustment.