I became quite addicted to dan dan noodles, a famous Sichuan street snack, during the time I lived in Chongqing and would rush to the street upon hearing the peddlers cry “Dan dan mian! Dan dan mian!” Dan is the name of the bamboo shoulder pole from which wood buckets were suspended carrying the noodles (mian) on one end and a cooking vessel on the other.
The sauce for dan dan noodles contains zha cai, which is sometimes called Sichuan preserved vegetable, pickled mustard tuber, or Sichuan pickled mustard. This salted cured vegetable adds rich flavor to all kinds of dishes.
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What you’ll need
Preserved Mustard Strips
$9 At Amazon
Shaoxing Rice Wine
$10 At Amazon
Chinkiang Black Vinegar
$11 At Amazon
Ingredients
Serves 6–8 as part of a Chinese meal and 4–6 as a lunch, snack, or side dish
Preparation
To make the sauce
Step 1
Heat a large wok over high heat until a bead of water dances on the surface and then evaporates. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the ginger, garlic, and green onions and cook, stirring, just until fragrant. Add the pork and the preserved vegetable and stir until the meat loses its raw color, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook for a few seconds to evaporate the alcohol and then add ½ cup of the chicken broth, soy sauce, chile oil, and vinegar. Bring the liquid to a boil and remove from heat.
To cook the noodles
Step 2
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Remove the noodles from their packaging and fluff the strands to separate. Add the noodles to the boiling water. Let the pot come back up to a boil, then add the 2 cups cold water. Bring to a boil again and immediately drain the noodles. Shake the colander to drain the noodles well and then divide the noodles between the individual serving bowls.
To serve
Step 3
Top each serving of noodles with some spicy pork mixture and ladle over a bit of the remaining hot chicken broth. Place some of the blanched spinach on one side of the noodles and sprinkle with the chopped nuts and a little ground Sichuan peppercorns. Serve immediately.
The correct width of the wheat noodles for this dish is 1/16 inch, not the wider ⅛-inch linguine-type noodles that are used in Zha Ziang Mian. These days many supermarkets carry fresh, refrigerated Asian noodles, but fresh angel hair pasta can substitute.
Leave a Review
Reviews (3)
Back to TopThis was delicious! Must use good quality fresh noodles. I used ground turkey since I had it on hand. Everything else made exactly like the recipe. So good. So good for you!
BeNeWe
Greenville, SC
8/27/2022
I liked this but probably won't make again. It wasn't nearly as good as restaurant dan dan mian.
soy23
stolen Catawba land
5/17/2022
Wow! what a delicious and good for you meal! Truly enjoyed it.
Anonymous
Canada
5/7/2022