Spicy Mushroom and Tofu Mazemen
Published March 20, 2024
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Canola or vegetable oil
- 8ounces mushrooms (such as cremini, button or shiitake), sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 1(14- to 16-ounce) package extrafirm tofu, drained and crumbled into ½-inch chunks
- 4baby bok choy (about 12 ounces), each trimmed and cut into 4 pieces through the stem
- 12ounces dried ramen noodles
- 2scallions, thinly sliced
- ¼cup Chinese or Japanese sesame paste, or tahini
- 8teaspoons chile crisp
- 4teaspoons white (shiro) miso paste
- 4teaspoons soy sauce
- Just-boiled water
For the Mazemen
For the Sauce
Preparation
- Step 1
Prepare the mazemen: Heat a large skillet on medium-high. When hot, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil, along with the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened, with golden edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan.
- Step 2
Drizzle the pan with another 2 tablespoons of oil, add the tofu and cook over medium-high, tossing occasionally, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. (The tofu will break up more as you toss it, which is fine.)
- Step 3
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the baby bok boy and cook for 1½ to 2 minutes, until the stems are just tender and the leaves are bright green. Using tongs, remove the greens from the water and place in a colander.
- Step 4
To the same pot of water, add the ramen noodles and cook according to packet instructions, until just tender.
- Step 5
Meanwhile make the sauce: In a large bowl, add the sesame paste, chile crisp, miso paste, soy sauce and ½ cup just-boiled water; whisk to combine.
- Step 6
Drain the noodles. Add them to the sauce and, using tongs or chopsticks, toss everything together until the noodles are coated. (If the sauce is very thick, add another tablespoon or two of just-boiled water to help loosen up the noodles.)
- Step 7
Divide the noodles evenly among serving bowls and top each with the baby bok choy, mushrooms and tofu. Top with scallions, toss everything together and serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
Instead of 4 teaspoons of miso and soy, I used 3 of both and added 2 teaspoons of honey and 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar to manage the saltiness (could sub those for any sweet and sour liquid). Otherwise; perfect for a simple weeknight.
Love this recipe! I’ve made it almost a dozen times, tweaking each time. Double the mushrooms, saute a cup of another green veggie (zucchini, broccolini, etc.), chop the bok choy into big chunks. No salt in the water, reduced sodium soy sauce, a bit more tahini and chili crisp. Lots of chopped scallions. Not too salty, just spicy enough and fabulous leftovers (if any!)
It’s okay for different people to say that the flavor was too salty. That’s their opinion and some people do need low sodium diets. The comments section is for people to share their opinions and variations.
Instead of all the salt, has anyone tried adding pinch of MSG to the sauce?
We made this exactly as the directions stated but used black sesame paste from our local Asian grocery store and it made the sauce a bit too murky and bitter. Would recommend using white sesame paste.
I seriously don’t understand why this recipe has five stars. I thought it was bland and uninteresting. I read the comments, used half as many noodles, used Gai lan instead of bok choy because that’s what I had, half a pound of shiitake and oyster mushrooms, half a package of tofu and used my own chili crisp in the sauce. I added some ginger and garlic to the tofu scramble. Otherwise Followed the process closely. It was just ok.