Spicy Mushroom and Tofu Mazemen

Published March 20, 2024

Spicy Mushroom and Tofu Mazemen
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(1,344)
Comments
Read comments

Mazemen, sometimes known as mazesoba or abura soba, is a brothless ramen dish believed to have originated in Nagoya, Japan. Inspired by a punchier and spicier Taiwanese flavor profile, the soup is replaced with an intensely savory sauce. In this vegan take, this sesame paste-based sauce delivers a rich finish, bolstered with umami agents such as miso, soy sauce and chile crisp. Mazemen, which translates to mixed noodles in Japanese, should be tossed before eating, so that the sauce and the toppings distribute evenly through the noodles. While this recipe is vegan, an egg yolk or an onsen tamago (soft-cooked egg) is a common mazemen topping, which falls apart as it is tossed through the noodles, leaving a silky and creamy finish.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Mazemen

    • 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

    For the Sauce

    • ¼cup Chinese or Japanese sesame paste, or tahini
    • 8teaspoons chile crisp
    • 4teaspoons white (shiro) miso paste
    • 4teaspoons soy sauce
    • Just-boiled water
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. 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.

  2. 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.)

  3. 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.

  4. Step 4

    To the same pot of water, add the ramen noodles and cook according to packet instructions, until just tender.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.)

  7. 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.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,344 user ratings
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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.

very delicious

Really good and we didn’t find it too salty, as others complained of her in the comments, however we found it lacking in the right sort of depth and spicy punch we were after. Perhaps the flavour being not quite ‘wow’ was due to me swapping cashew butter in for tahini (which I didn’t have on hand). Those of us who like spice added some chopped green Thai chiles and a bit more chile crisp. Really good - perhaps an egg and cilantro added next time would make it a knockout!

This meal could have been cooked much better if I hadn’t followed the recipe. The tofu and mushrooms and sauce for ramen were good combinations to keep in mind but I don’t recommend this. Luckily I made it with fish on the side to give it some life.

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