Red Spicy Ramen (i-e-kei) Recipe
Spicy. Nori seaweed, spinach, Naruto, 1 piece pork cha-shu, chili, thinly sliced red pepper, chili, oil.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Broth
Spicy Tare & Chili Oil
Noodles & Toppings
Optional (for chashu & eggs if making from scratch)
Method
Broth
- 1
- 2
Spicy Tare & Chili Oil
- 3
Make spicy tare
In a small bowl, combine doubanjiang, gochujang, (optional miso/koji), and toasted sesame seeds. Mix to a smooth paste. This will be the concentrated spicy tare base.
- 4
Prepare chili oil
In a small saucepan, warm the neutral oil or rayu over low heat until hot but not smoking. Remove from heat and stir in crushed toasted chili flakes. Let steep 2–3 minutes. Reserve 2 tbs of this chili oil to finish bowls and 1 tbs to add into the tare if you want extra heat. Taste and adjust heat level.
- 5
Combine tare with broth per bowl
For each serving (bowl), place about 1–1.5 tbsp of the spicy tare into the bottom of the bowl (adjust to spice preference). Add about 1 tsp of the reserved chili oil into the bowl as well if you want a glossy, spicy finish. When ladling broth, stir to dissolve tare into the broth.
Noodles & Toppings
- 6
Cook noodles
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add ramen noodles and cook according to package instructions (typically 2–3 minutes for fresh, 4–5 for dried). Stir gently to separate. When done, quickly lift noodles and drain well (do not rinse).
- 7
Blanch spinach and warm toppings
While noodles cook, blanch spinach in the boiling water for 20–30 seconds until wilted, then remove and squeeze out excess water. Briefly dip Naruto slices and nori in hot water to warm them if desired.
- 8
Assemble bowls
Place the hot tare (1–1.5 tbsp) and 1 tsp chili oil into each serving bowl. Add cooked noodles. Ladle 2.5–3 cups of hot broth over the noodles (stir while pouring to dissolve tare). Arrange toppings: 1 piece of pork chashu per bowl, half a soft-boiled egg, a small handful of blanched spinach, 2 slices narutomaki, 1 rectangle nori (stand it at the edge), a few thin slices of red bell pepper, and 1–1.5 tbs sliced green onions. Sprinkle a pinch of toasted sesame seeds and chili threads on top. Finish with a light drizzle (about 1/4 tsp) of toasted sesame oil and a crack of black pepper.
- 9
Optional: Make Pork Chashu and Ajitsuke Tamago
- 10
Make chashu (if preparing)
Roll the pork belly and tie with kitchen twine. Sear all sides in a hot pan until browned. Combine 1 cup water, 3 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs mirin, 1 tbs sugar, and 1 tbs rice vinegar in a pot. Add the seared pork, cover partially, and simmer gently for 1–1.5 hours until tender. Cool in the braising liquid, then slice one thick piece per bowl.
- 11