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1 litre (1 qt) chicken stock
8 pieces (150g, or 5 oz) Japanese curry cubes*
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin*
cooked ramen noodles, to serve
1 spring onion (scallion), trimmed, finely sliced
Japanese pickled ginger, to serve
Spicy pork topping:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
300g (10.5 oz) pork mince
2 tbsp doubanjiang chilli bean paste*
100g (3.5 oz) baby spinach
1 tbsp soy sauce
Place a pot of water over high heat and allow it to come to the boil (this is for the noodles later).
For the curry broth, heat the chicken stock in a large pot. Once it’s simmering, add the curry cubes, soy sauce and mirin. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes or until the curry cubes have dissolved and the broth has thickened slightly.
In the meantime, to make the spicy pork topping, heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the pork and stir-fry until almost cooked. Add the doubanjiang paste (you could also use gochujang here instead if you prefer) and stir-fry until well combined. Then add the spinach and soy sauce and stir-fry for another 2 minutes or until the spinach has wilted. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to serve.
To serve, divide your cooked ramen noodles between serving bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles. Top with the spicy pork and sprinkle over the spring onion. Add some Japanese pickled ginger and serve immediately.
– Japanese curry cubes are available in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets or search them out online. A popular brand is S & B Golden Curry.
– Mirin is a type of Japanese cooking rice wine (it has less alcohol than sake but is sweeter). It’s available in the Asian aisle of some major supermarkets or from an Asian grocery store. If you prefer not to use it in this dish, feel free to substitute it for some apple juice instead.
– Doubanjiang is a Chinese fermented broad bean and chilli paste. It can be found at an Asian grocer or ordered online.
