Dan Dan Noodles
Continuing with our culinary trip, today we go to China. We bring you a recipe that instantly made us fall in love with it. It’s a traditional recipe from the Chinese Sichuan Cuisine, famous for its spicy and delicious food. The dish is usually known as “Dan Dan Noodles”, and it’s the perfect recipe if you want to try a different noodle dish than those you can find in traditional Chinese restaurants.
Peanuts are the star of the dish, which give a very characteristic flavour that fits perfectly with the chili oil. Besides that, the Chinese Five Spices with the Chinese wine make the meat taste amazingly different from the traditional western cuisine.
You can easily find the ingredients in any grocery store, but if you don’t see them in your usual place, you’ll find them in any Asian food store.
What do you think? Does it sound tasty? Shall we start preparing it?
Amazing Dan Dan Noodles
Ingredients
Chili Oil
- 1 cinnamon stick.
- 2 tbsp of Sichuan Pepper.
- 2 start anise.
- 1 tbsp of fennel.
- 4 cloves (optional).
- 2 bay leaves (optional).
- 2 cm of fresh ginger (optional).
- Half green onion (optional).
Peanuts Sauce
- 3 tsp of Chinese sesame paste or tahini.
- 1/2 tsp of Sichuan peppers.
- 2 tbsp of whole peanuts.
- 2 garlic cloves.
- 4 tsp of sugar.
- 1/2 tbsp of Chinese Five Spices.
- 3 tbsp of dark soy sauce.
- 3 tbsp of Chili Oil.
- 1/3 cup of water.
Dan Dan noodles
- 250 g of minced pork.
- 2 tsp of Hoisin sauce.
- 2 tsp of Shaoxing wine (or Sherry wine).
- 1 tsp of dark soy sauce.
- 1/2 tsp of Chinese Five Spices.
- 1/2 tsp of tobanjan.
- 2 tbsp of peanuts.
- 200 g of noodles.
Instructions
Chili Oik
- First, we're going to prepare the Chili Oil.In a small pot, add a cup of vegetable oil at a very low temperature, as we don't want it to boil.Add:– 1 cinnamon stick.– 2 tablespoons of Szechuan Pepper.– 2 start anise.– 1 tablespoon of fennel.– 4 Cloves (optional).– 2 bay leaves (optional).– 2 chucks of fresh ginger (optional).– Half green onion (optional).Let it infuse for about 15 minutes at a very low heat.After that, retire from the heat and let it cool. Filter it with a strainer and keep the oil. Reserve for later.
Peanuts sauce
- In a beaker, add:– 3 teaspoons of Chinese sesame paste (it usually has peanuts).– 1/2 teaspoon of Sichuan peppers.– 4 teaspoons of sugar.– 1/2 tablespoon of Chinese Five Spices. – 2 tablespoons of whole peanuts.– 2 garlic cloves.– 3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce.– 3 tablespoons of Chilli oil.– 1/3 cup of water.Once you have mixed everything with a blender, try the sauce.– If you want it more liquid, you can add more water.– If you want it hotter, you can add chili oil or peppers.– If you think it needs to be saltier, you can add some soy sauce.
Meat
- Add the minced pork meat to a pan and cook it for a few minutes.
- Once the meat it's half done, incorporate into the pan:– 2 teaspoons of Hoisin sauce.– 2 teaspoons of Shaoxing wine (You can use some sherry wine instead).– 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce.– 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese Five Spices.– 1/2 teaspoon of Tobajan.Mix everything and keep cooking at medium heat until the alcohol has been consumed and the meat starts to caramelise.
Dan Dan noodles
- In a small pan, roast 2 tablespoons of peanuts.
- Cut some green onions to give it a fresh touch.
- Once the peanuts sauce is prepared, and the meat is almost done, start cooking the noodles according to the package, and strain them once they are ready.
- To serve the dish, add the ingredients in this order:– Add some of the peanuts sauce to the bottom.– Add the noodles and then the minced meat.– Finally, add more peanuts sauce on top, some whole peanuts and the green onion.And that's it! Enjoy!
Notes
