What's This?
I decided to add some mystery to this site. If you're here, congratulations. Please accept my recipe for peanut noodles as a prize.
What You Need
I know not everybody has a well equipped kitchen so I'll try to keep this simple.
Required Ingredients:
- Plain Ramen Noodles
- Peanut Butter
- Water
Optional Ingredients:
- Soy Sauce (All But Required)
- Oil (All But Required)
- Onion
- Green Onion
- Cilantro
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Tofu
- Crushed Peanut
- Sriracha
Required Equipment:
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Something That Boils Water
- Fork or Chopsticks
Optional Equipment:
- Stove Top
- Frying pan
- Strainer
- Knife and Cutting Board
What To Do
First, you start cooking ramen the way you usually would. Microwave, kettle, stove top, volcanic pools, I don't care, just cook 'em good. Once it's done, drain most of the water, but leave a tiny bit in there because we'll need it. It's ideal to use a strainer for draining. If you don't have one, or just don't want to do the dishes, keep tipping the container over the sink while holding the noodles back with a fork or chopsticks.
Second, get a big fucking spoon of peanut butter. You don't wanna skimp out here, this is your sauce base and you better commit to it. Smooth or chunky does not matter btw it's down to preference. i have enjoyed this recipe with both kinds, for the record. Anyway, get a spoon of peanut butter and mix it into your noodles. At this point, you'll want to add soy sauce if available/not allergic, and sriracha, if you desire. Don't go too heavy on the soy sauce. One or two packets should be enough, it's unpleasant if it's too salty.
Next, you'll want to add any veggies you might have. Green onion and cilantro should be cut fine; onion and tofu should be cut long; spinach doesn't need to be cut because it shrinks like George Costanza in a pool; how you cut broccoli is down to taste. If you don't have a knife or cutting board, (cleaned) scissors or just ripping stuff apart should do the trick. If you have access to a stove top, pan, and oil, fry your onions and tofu first, then add them. Or don't do that, I'm not a cop. Mix in the vegetables as best you can.
Finally, you can get your noodle mixture in your bowl, pour some crushed peanut if you have it, grab your fork or chopsticks and dig in.
Substitutions
An update to this page: I found out I actually have a number of allergies to some of the ingredients I listed, mostly minor ones, so I don't go into shock, just get a stomachache if I have too much. Here are a list of substitutes for some ingredients if you have more severe allergies. These substitutes are typically pricier like most allergen substitutes, since they are marketed mostly to yuppies.
- Ramen noodles usually are made with wheat, but rice ramen is also available. You can also substitute with other types of noodles, but it's not quite the same.
- Peanut butter is hard to replicate, especially for the specific quality that it lends this dish. Cashew butter is the closest I've found.
- Soy sauce can have two potential allergens: the soy of course, but also wheat. You can use tamari which has soy but usually no wheat, or if you can't have soy, coconut aminos, which is harder to find and a bit sweeter, so add some salt.
- Not a whole lot of options for the vegetables. Just avoid what you have to. Experiment with vegetables I haven't listed.
- Tofu is a tough one. I've heard they make chickpea tofu but have not been able to find it and try it; paneer is more readily available but obviously is dairy. Scrambled eggs can work if you fluff them right.