My Perfect Dan Dan Noodles

My Perfect Dan Dan Noodles! That’s what we are trying to accomplish today. I am a big fan of Asian cuisine. I mean all types from Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, and Vietnamese. You name it … I’m always trying new dishes and then making a version of my favorites! Check the rest of my Blog for some of my other recipes. Recipes you may want to try might be Chashu Pork Ramen, The Best Sweet and Spicy Perfectly Crunchy Wontons, Making the Best Potstickers, or The Best Shumai Pork and Shrimp Meatballs in a Savory Broth!

History of Dan Dan Noodles

Dan dan noodles are a popular Sichuan dish with a rich history rooted in street food traditions. The name “dan dan” translates to “carried on a pole,” referencing the method used by street vendors who would carry the noodles and sauce in baskets on a pole. They would place the ingredients, bowls, chopsticks, and cookware in two baskets tied to each end of the pole. Walking around with the pole over their shoulders, they would cook and serve the noodles in the street. These affordable and delicious dishes became staples of Sichuan cuisine. 

Special Ingredients

There are some special ingredients that I had to search for at my local Asian Grocery store.

• Sui Mi Ya Cai
• Sesame Paste
• Sichuan peppercorn
• Spicy Chile Crisp

Sichuan peppercorn: It is the dried husk of a seed from a spiky shrub in the citrus family. They are not related to black pepper and are not spicy in the traditional sense. You will find that they have a numbing, tingly sensation on the tongue. In Chinese cuisine, this “numbing effect is called “málà“. I happened to find the powdered version of the Sichuan peppercorn. The”husks” are more readily available. You can blend them into a powder or use a mortar and pestle to grind them, and sift out the powder.

Chinese Sesame Paste: This ingredient is used to enhance the flavor and texture of the Dan Dan sauce. It adds a distinct nutty aroma and a creamy texture, which helps to balance the spiciness of your chili ingredients. It also helps to thicken the sauce and coat the noodles evenly. If you can’t find the Chinese version of this ingredient, try using Tahini, which will work as a substitute. Chinese sesame paste is made from roasted sesame seeds, resulting in a richer, nuttier flavor and a thicker consistency. Tahini, on the other hand, is often made from raw or lightly toasted sesame seeds, leading to a lighter color, a milder, slightly bitter flavor, and a smoother, more liquid consistency. 

Sui Mi Ya Cai:  It’s a fermented vegetable, often pickled mustard greens or the actual root.  It adds a unique, savory, and slightly sweet flavor, as well as a crunchy texture that complements the dish. It is a signature ingredient in Sichuan cuisine and essential for authentic Dan Dan Noodles. 

Spicy Chile Crisp: You can make your dish as spicy as you like; from zero heat to a whopping 10. I used the chile crisp below for my recipe. It provides a great all-around heat. I add enough of the chile crisp to let me know the dish is going to be spicy. Everyone has a different heat tolerance as to how much spice they can handle. Add a little bit at a time, tasting as your dish cooks.

What Kind of Noodle

Using the correct noodle is very important in Chinese cuisine to enhance the ingredients of each dish. The correct noodle will help to make your dish more enjoyable. Thin, fresh wheat-based noodles are the ideal noodles to use when making a Dan Dan recipe. Dried wheat noodles can also be used. 

Dan dan noodles in Sichuan cuisine are often yellow because they have been treated with an alkaline solution called kansui (or lye water). This alkali (like sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, or potassium hydroxide) helps the noodles become more chewy and springy and causes the flour to turn yellow. I added baking soda to my noodle water to achieve an alkaline environment for our noodles. “Alkaline” Chinese noodles can be found online. I will compare them with the noodles using the baking soda and let you know how the comparison turns out.

Layering the Ingredients

Layering the ingredients is a traditional method in plating your Dan Dan Noodles.

• 1st layer: The Sauce
• 2nd layer: The Noodles and veggie
• Cooked meat
• Garnish

Give your ingredients a little swirl once your bowl is layered and you are good to go! I hope you enjoy the recipe. Comment below and let me know what your thoughts are on the recipe. As always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen!

Dan Dan Noodles

Recipe by David Frank – Spending Time In My Kitchen

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• Noodles

• 8 Oz Dry wheat noodles (16 oz of fresh if used)

• 3 tsp Baking soda (3 quarts of water used to cook noodles-see note below)

• 1 Cup Baby spinach or baby bok choy

• Dan Dan Sauce

• 2 Tbl Chinese sesame paste (Use tahini as a substitute)

• 2 Tbl Soy sauce, light

• 2 Tbl Garlic minced

• 1 Tbl Chinese black vinegar

• 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder

• 1 tsp Sugar

• 1 tsp chinese chile crisp

• 1 tsp Optional: White pepper

• Making the Pork Topping

• 8 Oz Ground pork

• 2 tsp Dark soy sauce

• 3 Tbl Tianjin or Sui Mi Ya Cai pickled mustard greens or root (Make sure to rinse completely before use. The ingredient is salty)

• 3 tsp Ginger minced

• 1 tsp White pepper

• 3 tsp Shao Xing wine (Use sherry if not found)

• Garnish

• 3 Scallions, sliced and cut as desired

• Optional: Chopped peanuts to taste

Directions

• Making the Pork
• Add ground pork, minced ginger, and dark soy sauce to a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Let the mixture marinate for 20 minutes.
• Add a tablespoon of oil to your 14-inch skillet. Saute the pork mixture for 5 minutes over medium heat until it still has a little pink to it. Add the sui mi ya cai and shaoxing wine to the pan with the pork. Continue to mix and cook the pork until it has crumbled into smaller pieces. If you are not getting a good enough crumble, you can use a potato masher.
• Add a tablespoon of oil to your 14-inch skillet. Saute the pork mixture for 5 minutes over medium heat until it still has a little pink to it. Add the sui mi ya cai and shaoxing wine to the pan with the pork. Continue to mix and cook the pork until it has crumbled into smaller pieces. If you are not getting a good enough crumble, you can use a potato masher

  • 

• Set pork aside when done.
• Making the Sauce
• Add all the ingredients in making the sauce into a bowl. Mix well.
• Taste the sauce and adjust to taste. Add more chili if you need more heat. Add more Sichuan peppercorn powder if you are not getting enough of the numbing effect. Lightly add more soy if you need more salt.

  • 

• Making the Noodles
• Add 3 quarts of water to a large saucepan over medium-high heat on the stove. Add 3 teaspoons of baking soda to your water. Be careful. The water will fizz up as you put your baking soda in the pot.
• Add noodles to your boiling water. Occasionally stir your noodles to keep them from sticking. Cook until your noodles are done and have some chew to them. Set them aside.

  • 

• Time to Plate!
• First, add sauce to an individual soup bowl.
• Second, add cooked noodles to your bowl.
• Third, add cooked pork to your bowl
• Garnish with sliced green onion and chopped peanuts if desired.
• It’s the job of each individual to stir the sauce on the bottom with the noodles and meat so that everything is well-coated.
• Serve and enjoy!

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Notes

• Tianjin is a preserved is a salted cabbage that needs to be rinsed off because of the salt content. That salt needs to be rinsed as to not over salt your dish.
• wheat alkaline noodle should have sodium bicarbonate in the ingredients. If you can’t find an alkaline wheat noodle, add 1 Tablespoon of baking soda for every quart of water in the pot you are using to cook your Chinese wheat noodle. Do not over-reduce your noodle water. If too much water evaporates, you can overconcentrate the baking soda, making it taste bitter.

Did you make this recipe?

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