After moving away from home and into a dorm, I seriously started to miss my kitchen. I’m a passionate home cook, so I was heartbroken when I came to the realization that I no longer had 24/7 access to all the pots, pans, utensils, and ingredients that I had at home. Plus, being a student on a tight budget is like having a one-way ticket to the Land of Bland and Boring Food. It’s hard to make quick meals with lots of flavor and little money. To help me cope, I called my mom and complained excessively about how I couldn’t make dinner on a whim or fit all the food I wanted into my mini-fridge. The next time I went home to visit, she handed me a solution: my very own (homemade!) mini spice set, complete with 28 different spices. A survival kit for the deprived chef, if you will. Naturally, my first course of action was to upgrade plain ol’ college-student ramen and make it my own!
I know they say not to mess with a classic, but despite the cheapness and ease of conventional instant ramen, eating it night after night gets pretty blah after a while. And if you’re a vegetarian like me, you probably know that there’s only one variety that isn’t meat-based (and it’s pretty tough to find). Enter this dressed-up ramen recipe, with all the noodle love but none of the monotony or the chicken! I invented this spicy curry-flavored version in the name of variety and vegetarianism, and it has since become my signature dorm room creation. Over the course of my first semester, I have grown to love my recipe dearly—and so have my hall mates! If you’re a ramen addict in search of something different (and you happen to have lots of spices on hand), this is the recipe for you!
Dorm Room Ramen: Reloaded
Ingredients
Instructions
In a small pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to medium-high.
(Optional step): For extra flavor, you can toast the spices in a small frying pan on medium-low heat. Toast for 2-4 minutes or until you can smell the aroma. Be sure to move the spices around to prevent burning!
Add the spices to the water to make the broth for the noodles. Stir to combine.
Open the package of ramen. Be sure to remove and discard the included seasoning packet. Add the dry ramen noodles to the broth and stir.
Allow 10 minutes for the noodles to cook, stirring and separating noodles occasionally.
Remove from heat, pour into a bowl and enjoy hot.
Tip:
Occasionally, I like to add frozen mixed vegetables and/or silken tofu for a little more nutrition.
For more easy dorm room recipes, check out this article:
https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/recipes-you-can-make-in-your-dorm-room