Home › Recipes › Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles
Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles
Springy wheat noodles in a nutty sesame, soy and chili oil sauce, topped with crispy savory pork, preserved mustard greens and a tingle of Sichuan pepper.
Ingredients
| Volume | Grams |
|---|---|
| Crispy pork topping | |
| 1 tbsp vegetable oil | 12.4 g |
| 8 oz ground pork | 227 g |
| 1 oz ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens), about 1/4 cup, rinsed if very salty | 28 g |
| 2 tsp soy sauce | 10.7 g |
| 1 tsp granulated sugar | 4.1 g |
| Sauce (divide among 4 bowls) | |
| 1/4 cup Chinese sesame paste, or tahini, stirred well | 60 g |
| 3 tbsp soy sauce | 48 g |
| 2 oz chili oil with sediment, about 1/4 cup; less for milder | 57 g |
| 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil | 13.6 g |
| 2 tsp granulated sugar | 8.2 g |
| 2 garlic cloves, grated | — |
| 1 tsp ground roasted Sichuan peppercorn, toast whole, then grind | — |
| 1/2 cup water, hot noodle cooking water | 114 g |
| Noodles and garnish | |
| 14 oz fresh wheat noodles, thin, or 10 oz dried | 397 g |
| 4 baby bok choy, halved | — |
| 2 green onions, thinly sliced | — |
| 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped | 18.2 g |
Gram weights use the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart; amounts given in lb or oz are converted by weight (1 lb = 453.6 g, 1 oz = 28.35 g); “—” means the ingredient isn’t on the chart, so measure it by volume or count. Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling, or better, weigh it.
Method
- Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high. Add the pork and stir-fry, breaking it into small bits, until it's browned and crisp at the edges, 6–8 minutes.
- Add the ya cai and stir-fry 1 minute until fragrant. Add the soy sauce and sugar and cook until the pan is dry again. Set aside.
- Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, then grind them fine.
- Divide the sesame paste, soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, sugar, garlic and ground Sichuan pepper among 4 bowls.
- Boil the noodles in plenty of water according to the package. Add the bok choy for the last minute. Before draining, ladle about 2 tablespoons of the hot cooking water into each bowl and stir to loosen the sauce.
- Drain the noodles and bok choy and divide among the bowls. Top with the crispy pork, green onions and peanuts. Toss well at the table so every strand is coated.
Tips
- Chinese sesame paste is made from toasted seeds and tastes deeper than tahini; tahini still works well.
- The pork topping keeps 4 days in the fridge and reheats in a dry pan.
- No ya cai? Use finely chopped Tianjin preserved vegetable or skip it and add a pinch more salt.
Baking at elevation? See high-altitude adjustments. Different pan? Try the pan size converter.
Handy while you cook: oven temperature converter · yeast converter · safe meat temperatures · Pantry Survivor Mode