Dan Dan Noodles are a traditional recipe from the Chinese Sichuan Cuisine. With the spicy sauce, the fantastic flavour of the meat, and the exciting touch given by the peanuts... You'll have a perfect dish.
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 someĀ 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
- You can keep the chili oil in the fridge for 1 month.