Who’s missing ramen? Who’s missing noodles? Who wants to slurp up some nice long and tasty noodles with their chopsticks and spoon right now?…Me!!!!
By MELBA
Sshhhh, don’t tell anybody but, I have a secret vice…I like to watch mukbangs (videos of people eating) on YouTube. The dilemma of this is that it quite often makes me feel hungry and have cravings for whatever it is that the people I’m watching are eating. This week it was “ramen” …soupy, slurpy and delicious noodle dishes like I used to eat once upon a time.
So, what is a gal to do when you are living the keto low carb lifestyle, but you really want to slurp down some soupy noodles? You recreate it low carb style!
This keto friendly ramen recipe really hits the spot when I need that Asian noodle hit. Suitably soupy, slurpy, and noodle-y and lightening quick to make. The secret to this noodle dish is the shirataki noodles. These are made from konjac yam and are almost 100% indigestible dietary fibre. The bonus is that this means they are also almost a zero-calorie food. They seem to pair wonderfully in Asian dishes where you might have used rice noodles in the past as they have a sort of gelatinous, elastic texture to them.
These low carb soupy noodles seem surprisingly hearty for such a low-calorie dish and can be made with or without the prawns or bonito flakes. If you do omit the seafood, it will make for very keto macros as it will bring the protein level right down. I sometimes have these noodles with the bonito flakes only, which provide a lovely light smoky flavour, and leave out the prawns. I buy my bonito flakes from the local Asian supermarket. And if you want to increase the fat content, just add a larger drizzle of sesame oil or some fatty slices of belly pork.
I also love the chilli heat of the cayenne pepper, but if you’re not a fan of spice, you can leave this out…or add more if you dare. For those of you who have more carbs to play with for your daily macros, the addition of a few more crunchy vegetables can really add a satisfying tactile crunch to this dish.
So, if you’ve been missing ramen noodles or have been watching noodle mukbang eating shows like I have, then give this dish a go. You won’t be disappointed.
INGREDIENTS
250g Konjac/Shirataki Noodles, rinsed
1 Shrimp Bouillon cube
½ Dashi Soup Stock Sachet (or half of a fish stock cube)
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper – optional
½ tsp Sesame Oil
1pkt (3g) Bonito Fish Flakes – optional
10g Spring Onion, sliced
1pkt Season Seaweed Snack – optional
50g Raw Prawns Cutlets, – optional
250ml Water, can add more if you like it more soupy
METHOD
- Remove the shirataki noodles from their pouch and rinse under cold water to remove any of the watery residue and unsavoury smell or flavour.
- Place the rinsed noodles into a non-stick pan over medium heat and dry-fry the noodles till you see some of them partially dehydrating (approximately 3-5 minutes).
- While the noodles are dry-frying, take a small saucepan/pot and pour in the water, shrimp bouillon cube, dashi soup stock and cayenne pepper. Place the saucepan over moderate heat and bring to a simmer, ensuring to stir the stock flavouring s and cayenne pepper so that there are no clumps.
- With the stock simmering, add the dry-fried noodles and stir gently to mix them in. This will bring the stock temperature down a little. When the stock begins to bubble again, add the prawn cutlets. The prawns will turn an orange-red colour as they cook, and the flesh will become opaque white rather than translucent. Turn them in the stock to ensure all sides of the prawns are cooked but do not cook them for too long or they will become tough and rubbery. If in doubt, pull one out and taste it to see if they are ready. The whole cooking time, including the noodle dry-frying, should only take about 10 minutes.
- Pour the soupy noodles and prawns into a soup bowl and sprinkle over the sliced spring onions and bonito flakes. Drizzle a little sesame oil over the top, grab your chopsticks or fork and spoon, and serve with your crunchy seasoned seaweed on the side.
Tips:
- If you have more carbs to play with for your daily macros, then the addition of a few more crunchy vegetables can add a tactile and satisfying crunch to this dish. Matchstick slices of radish work great, or a sprinkle of bean sprouts, or some Asian greens like pak choy.
- Do not be tempted to rinse the noodles and then place them in the soup stock without dry-frying. It is the dry-frying that really enables flavour to penetrate the partially dehydrated noodles when you eventually place them in the stock.
- If you want to be even more authentic, crack a raw egg over the top of the noodles after you have placed them in your serving bowl. The heat of the soup will help to cook the egg whites while leaving the yolk beautiful and oozy.
Nutritional Information (per serve) | |||||
Kcal | Fat | Protein | Carbohydrate | Fibre | Net Carb |
157 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 1 |
ปั๊มไลค์
29 May 2020Like!! Really appreciate you sharing this blog post.Really thank you! Keep writing.
Mel
25 Jun 2020Thank you. It makes me really happy when I can create recipes that other people like.