Unexpected inspiration for a delicious dish
With spicy, smoky and umami flavours, this vegan ram-don recipe ticks all the boxes.
The inspiration for this recipe came from an unexpected place: the Oscar-winning movie Parasite.
In Bong Joon-ho’s hit film, a housekeeper is tasked with making a beef ram-don – a unique dish similar to a spicy noodle soup. This inspired Ching-He Huang to make her own vegan version, which her husband now calls her signature meal..
Smoked tofu and broccoli Korean-style vegan ram-don
Ingredients:
(Serves four)
200g dried ramen or udon noodles
1tbsp toasted sesame oil 2 garlic cloves
2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled
3 shallots
2 red chillies, deseeded
1tbsp cornflour
1tbsp rapeseed oil
200g smoked tofu, drained, rinsed in cold water and sliced into 2cm cubes
400g firm tofu, drained and sliced into 2cm cubes
200g fresh shiitake mushrooms 1tbsp Shaohsing rice wine 2tbsp dark soy sauce
150g long-stem broccoli, florets sliced lengthwise and stalks sliced into 0.5cm rounds 2tbsp vegetarian mushroom sauce
1tbsp clear rice vinegar
1tbsp tamari or low-sodium light soy sauce
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced on the angle into 1cm slices
Noodle seasoning (per bowl): 1tsp dark soy sauce and Chiu Chow chilli oil
1tbsp each tahini and sweet chilli sauce
Sprinkle of shichimi togarashi pepper flakes.
Method:
1. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Rinse under cold water and drain well, then drizzle over the toasted sesame oil to prevent them from sticking together.
Set aside in the colander until needed.
2. Place the garlic, ginger, shallots and red chillies in a small food processor and blitz to form a paste. Mix the cornflour with two tablespoons water in a small bowl or cup to make a slurry. Set aside until needed. Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking and add the rapeseed oil. Once hot, add the aromatic paste and cook, stirring, for a few seconds until fragrant. Add both kinds of tofu and the mushrooms. Season with the rice wine and dark soy sauce and toss together well for one to two minutes until all the ingredients are coated.
2. Add the broccoli and cook, tossing, for one minute. Stir in the mushroom sauce, rice vinegar and tamari or light soy sauce. Pour in the cornflour slurry to thicken the cooking juices in the wok, and toss to mix well.
3. Pour some boiling water over the noodles in the colander to reheat them, then divide them between four bowls.
4. Place a ladleful of the tofu, mushroom and broccoli mixture on one side of the noodles in each bowl, and top with the sliced spring onion. Dress the noodles by drizzling over the dark soy sauce, Chiu Chow chilli oil, tahini and sweet chilli sauce, followed by a generous sprinkle of shichimi togarashi pepper flakes. Serve immediately.
W Asian Green: Everyday Plantbased Recipes Inspired By The East by Ching-He Huang, photography by Tamin Jones, is published by Kyle Books on February 11, priced £20.