You know how I love my instant ramen upgrades and this coconut curry ramen might just be one of my most favorite yet! You only need five simple ingredients and about ten minutes to make this bowl of delicious noodles. Plus, there’s no chopping required, so this coconut curry ramen is a really great choice for anyone cooking in small spaces or with limited cooking equipment (dorm room, hotel room, RV, etc.). But what I love the most is just how vibrant the colors and flavors are in this bowl.
P.S. If you like the idea of this recipe but don’t like instant ramen, check out my 15-Minute Vegetable Curry!
What Kind of Vegetables to Use
I suggest keeping a bag of frozen mixed vegetables on hand for this ramen. Frozen vegetables are already chopped, which makes this recipe a breeze to put together. There are so many different vegetable mix combos available to choose from (see photos below for examples) and you can use just a cup at a time without worrying about the rest going bad. That being said, you can use any fresh vegetables you might have on hand, as well.
I’ve made this coconut curry ramen with a few different mixes of frozen vegetables already, and they’ve all been great. Scroll down to the step by step photos below the recipes to see the three types that I’ve tried so far.
What Flavor Ramen to Use
Another great thing about this recipe is that it’s flexible. You can use several different flavors of ramen. I used chicken, but shrimp would also be good. If you don’t want to use the seasoning packet that comes with the ramen, you can replace the water in the recipe below with any type of broth that you like (vegetable, chicken, mushroom, etc.).
What Kind of Curry Powder to Use
I used a yellow curry powder for this recipe, but it’s quite flexible and I think it would work well with just about any type of curry powder. The flavor of curry powder can vary quite a bit from brand to brand, so you may need to do some experimenting to find one that you like. You can use either a mild or spicy curry powder, whichever you prefer.
What Else Can I Add?
The recipe below is very simple but very delicious, but you can always add more ingredients if you have them on hand! I don’t like to see things go to waste and this recipe is perfect for add-ins! If you have shrimp or cooked chicken, you can toss that in there. You can top it with green onions or a drizzle of sriracha. This would also be a great way to use up an extra handful or two of any leftover greens that you may have (spinach, kale, etc.).
Coconut Curry Ramen
Servings 1 or 2Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables ($0.47)
- 1.5 cups water ($0.00)
- 1 3oz. package instant ramen ($0.25)
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk* ($0.52)
- 1 tsp curry powder ($0.10)
Instructions
- Add the frozen vegetables and water to a small saucepot. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat on to high, and bring the water up to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the ramen noodles (without seasoning). Continue to boil for 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
- Shake the coconut can well to combine the solid fat and liquid before measuring. Add the coconut milk to the saucepot and stir to combine.
- Finally, add the seasoning packet from the instant ramen and the curry powder. Stir to combine. Serve hot.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Coconut Curry Ramen – Step by Step Photos
You can use just about any type of mixed frozen vegetables for this recipe. Here are three examples of vegetable mixes that I’ve used and enjoyed. The vegetables used in the ramen bowl pictured in this post were the “stir-fry starters” mix on the top right.
Add one cup of frozen vegetables to a saucepot with 1.5 cups water. Place a lid on top, turn the heat on to high, and bring the water up to a boil.
Once boiling, add the ramen noodles to the pot (without the seasoning). Continue to boil for 2-3 minutes, or just until the noodles soften.
Add ½ cup full-fat coconut milk to the pot and stir to combine. Make sure your coconut milk is very well mixed before measuring, so you get an even mix of the solid fat and liquid.
Finally, add the seasoning packet from the instant ramen and one teaspoon curry powder. Stir to combine.
And that’s it! Your deliciously creamy pot of coconut curry ramen is done and ready to devour!
As is always the case with your recipes the whole family loved it! Added a block of cubed tofu ♥️
Doubled the recipe and added tofu, Asian veggies and added edame yummy!
This is one of my favorite things ever. Thanks so much for another quick/ easy recipe that’s also super tasty and includes veggies. I’ve made it 3 or 4 times since seeing this. I even subbed the coconut milk for low fat, and it’s still great!
Just tried it for the first time. Easy, fast, affordable, and full of flavor. Will DEFINITELY be making this every once in awhile.
We’re busy folks, and as much as I try to meal prep, sometimes it just doesn’t come through or we don’t want what we’ve made. We’ve probably made this twice a week since you published, and it’s spectacular. We like to mix it up by adding different proteins – leftover bo ssam, chicken, and even frozen potstickers. You can’t go wrong.
I made this last night and it was easy and delicious! I love cooking and have a fully stocked kitchen but it’s great to have these quick, pantry staple recipes for busy days. I doubled the recipe and it made 3 good sized servings.
Holy crap, what a meal. Rich, complex, and so satisfying. But so simple! It’s curry. But also, it’s ramen. So good.
Pro tip: let it sit for about 5 minutes so the noodles have the chance to absorb some of the coconut broth.
*This has a happy ending*
I was SO EXCITED to try this out for a quick lunch while working remotely that could get me some veggies and address my curry craving for cheap.
I was so underwhelmed until I realized I left my scoop of curry paste next to the stove. So I reheated everything, stirred it in and now this will be perhaps the most often made recipe of my life! I am literally planning versions with pad thai, butter chicken flavor, etc. Obviously they’re just riffs on popular dishes but this is exactly the easy setup I need to get some tasty food with TONS of veggie varieties.
Beth, I’ve used your recipes for years and try to give you due credit but this one is just the most perfect thing ever!
I’m so glad to hear that, Megan! :D
I didn’t have mixed frozen veggies but I did have frozen zucchini chunks and sugar snaps, and dried tomatoes from our garden so I used those. I buy my noodles plain so I added chicken better than bouillon to the water. This was easy, fast, tasty, and satisfying and it’s going on the list of pantry meals to make when I’m tired and hungry after work. Thank you!
Its very delicious . This is so simple, adaptable, and useful.
I didn’t have any frozen vegetable combinations, so I chopped a red onion, some Bella mushrooms, and an orange pepper, sautéed them in a little olive oil (I’ll try to remember to use sesame oil next time), then added the ramen and flavour packet, along with 3/4 cup water (I don’t like my ramen soupy).
I also added some frozen spinach and a ginger-infused umami pure.
It’s delicious because of the coconut milk.
And for dorm/RV considerations where keeping 2/3 of a can of coconut milk around is impractical, there are a couple of good brands of dehydrated/concentrated coconut milks around. I look Chao Thai when I’m at an Asian grocery store and “Let’s Do Organic” “Creamed Coconut” at natural foods stores.
OMG this is so easy and flexible and good. I didn’t have any frozen vegetable mixes so I just chopped a red onion, some Bella mushrooms, and an orange pepper, sautéed it in a little olive oil (next time I’ll try to remember to use sesame oil) then added the ramen and seasoning packet and water (I only used 3/4c water bc I don’t like mine soupy.) I also added some frozen spinach and a little umami purée with ginger. The coconut milk makes it so so so good. My husband doesn’t like ramen noodles so I made his with rice noodles. My 2 and 4 year old loved it too. Next time I’ll use frozen veggies for more variety
Made this…..couldn’t stop eating it!
I think I love you Beth!
BTW: I added shredded chicken breast.
Yummo!
I don’t leave comments on many recipes in general, but I just made this for a quick dinner tonight and:
A) it came together SO smoothly and in no time at all
B) it was DELICIOUS.
Wowww
I made this last night while trying to stretch out the need to go grocery shopping for another day!
I didn’t have instant ramen on hand so I used regular wheat ramen noodles and for a serving of 2, I made a DIY version of the ramen seasoning packet which worked pretty well:
1 Tbsp ground ginger; 1 Tbsp garlic powder;
1 Tbsp onion powder; 1 Tbsp white pepper. I ended up adding salt and black pepper to taste later. I think it worked pretty well!