Homemade Ramen Noodles

A couple of months ago, I was scrolling through social media when I found a tweet by one wonderful feminist I follow  that spoke of how unhealthy ramen noodles was for us and just how much sodium it contained. I was really surprised because I had not taken notice of that and also because I had stopped eating ramen a couple of months back and had began making my own at home. I know most of you are worried about the soapy taste the baking soda introduces but I assure that these noodles do not have that taste . My advice is to use the freshest baking soda you own, with baking soda, the fresher the better. The great thing about these noodles is that you need just flour, eggs, baking soda and water to make them, things you already have in your pantry.

Recipe 8 servings

what you need

600g bread/hard flour 

178g egg mixture (3 medium sized eggs)

62 ml water

12g teaspoons baked baking soda

Rice/corn flour for dusting

Directions 

Spread the baking soda on a baking tray and bake at 150C for an hr. You can also bake a cup of baking soda and store the rest for use later.

Combine eggs, water, baking soda and salt. Whisk until the salt and baking soda dissolve completely. Using a food processor with the blade attached, add the flour and the whisked mixture. Process until it resembles a pebbled mixture, alternatively you can mix by hand or with an electric mixer. Don’t be tempted to add more water. Pour the dough unto a clean work surface and knead until it all comes together to form a ball (unless you have serious upper arm strength , I'm talking Arnold Schwarzenegger’s upper arm strength , this dough will not form a completely smooth ball). Cover with a cling film and allow the dough to rest for 40 mins to an hr.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll into balls and cover with a kitchen towel. Working with one ball at a time, roll dough using a rolling pin into 1/4 inch flattened disc and pass through the pasta machine (smooth part) going from the widest setting, followed by the second widest setting to the third widest until you reach the smallest setting. Run 3x through the smallest setting.Run final sheet through the noodle/spaghetti attachment and dust with the corn flour. Shake off the excess flour. Roll into a nest and cover with a kitchen towel and set aside. Repeat until dough is finished.

In the absence of a pasta machine and in the presence of good upper arm strength, divide dough into portions and roll out into thin transparent sheet. Dust the surface with flour and cut into desired thickness 

To cook noodles, bring a large amount of salted water to a boil( using a lot of water ensures that all the excess flour on the dough will not cause the dough to have a gummy or slimy exterior). Cook noodles, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. Cook for 1 mins 30 secs to 4 mins depending on the thickness or until cooked. Drain immediately then rinse in cold water then drain and dry with a kitchen towel. If you’re using a noodle basket, stir occasionally to avoid sticking.

Use noodles directly in broths, stir fry or in soups. Store the excess in the freezer for up to a 2 months in a ziplock bag or an airtight container. Thaw in fridge overnight before using frozen noodles.