Q. Help! I am useless at cooking, have just moved away from home for the first time and all I have is a microwave. I thought if I got those pre-packaged ramen noodles it would be easy to feed myself in a fix so I bought a big multipack. The only trouble is that the instructions only give guidelines for stovetop cooking. Now I am stuck with a huge amount of ramen, an empty stomach and a pretty empty wallet too. Can I microwave ramen noodles if the packet says to put them on the stove? I want to give it a go but should I heat the water first or put the water and noodles in together?
A. Yes, there is a way to do this in the microwave and you should get very similar results to the stovetop method so don’t worry. Put the ramen noodles into a large microwave safe bowl. Add just enough water to cover the noodles and microwave for 2 minutes. Now let the noodles rest for another two minutes in the microwave with the door closed. They will keep on cooking and swelling during this resting period and you’ll see they are absorbing most of the water. Water heats up to a high temperature very quickly in microwaves so be careful when you remove the dish.
Now you can add the seasoning packet and give them a good stir to make sure it is mixed through thoroughly. Allow the noodles to stand for another 30 seconds so that those flavours infuse and enjoy!
If you want to get creative and add a little protein to your meal in future, consider cracking an egg into the noodles after they have been cooking for one minute. Give the noodles and egg a good stir. You can even add the seasoning at this point and then just microwave again for two minutes. Don’t’ forget to let them rest though, it does help them keep cooking without getting too overheated.
There are probably plenty of other ways to cook ramen in the microwave, some people like to break them up a little before they start so that they are easier to cover with the recommended volume of water. Just don’t put them on too high for too long, it’s easier to let them rest and put them on for an extra 30 seconds than to ‘uncook’ them.