Description
A classic Sichuan dish, Dan Dan Noodles features a bold and spicy sauce made with Chinese sesame paste, chili paste, and Sichuan peppercorn, served over fresh noodles with a savory ground pork topping and preserved mustard greens. This recipe offers a perfect balance of numbing heat, umami, and nutty flavor, ideal for fans of authentic Chinese street food.
Ingredients
Scale
Dan Dan Sauce:
- 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (sub tahini)
- 1.5 tbsp Chinese chili paste in oil, adjust spiciness
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
- 1 tsp Sichuan pepper powder, preferably freshly ground
- 3 tbsp (or more) chili oil, preferably Chinese
- 3/4 cup (185ml) chicken broth/stock, hot, low sodium
Pork Topping:
- 2 tsp Hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (sub 2 tbsp extra chicken stock)
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 250g (8oz) pork mince (ground pork)
Sui Mi Ya Cai (Preserved Mustard Greens):
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 30g (1/4 cup) Sui Mi Ya Cai, finely chopped
To Serve:
- 500g (1lb) white fresh noodles, medium thickness
- 16 choy sum stems, cut into 15cm pieces
- 2 green onions, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp peanuts, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Dan Dan Sauce: In a bowl, mix together the Chinese sesame paste, chili paste, light soy sauce, minced garlic, white sugar, Chinese five spice powder, and Sichuan pepper powder until well combined. Gently stir in the chili oil and hot chicken broth, ensuring the oil floats on the surface. Set aside to let flavors meld.
- Cook Pork Topping: Combine hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, and Chinese five spice powder to create the pork sauce mixture. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add pork mince and cook, breaking it apart, until it turns from pink to white. Pour in the pork sauce and cook for another minute. Transfer the cooked pork into a bowl and set aside.
- Warm Preserved Mustard Greens: Return the skillet to medium heat. Add 1 tsp vegetable oil to the center, then stir in the finely chopped Sui Mi Ya Cai for about 30 seconds just to warm and release flavor. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook Noodles and Choy Sum: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Add the choy sum stems to the pot during the last minute of cooking. Drain noodles and choy sum together thoroughly.
- Assemble the Dish: Ladle about 1/4 of the Dan Dan sauce into each serving bowl. Add noodles, then top with the cooked pork and preserved mustard greens. Place the choy sum on the side. Garnish with finely sliced green onions and chopped peanuts if using. To enjoy, mix everything well to coat the noodles with the flavorful sauce, then dive in!
Notes
- Chinese Sesame Paste is thicker and more intensely flavored than sesame sauce; tahini is an acceptable substitute but less robust.
- Use authentic Chinese chili paste in oil for the best flavor. Adjust spiciness to your preference.
- Light soy sauce is preferred; do not substitute with dark soy sauce in the sauce as it alters flavor.
- Chinese Five Spice Powder adds a distinctive warm aromatic touch common in Sichuan cooking.
- Sichuan Peppercorn provides a numbing spiciness and slight lemony flavor critical to the authentic taste.
- Chili oil is essential for the characteristic heat and mouthfeel; quantity can be increased for more spice.
- Sui Mi Ya Cai (preserved mustard greens) can be replaced by finely chopped kimchi if unavailable.
- For the pork, dark soy sauce darkens and deepens flavor; use light soy sauce as a substitute in smaller quantity but expect lighter color.
- Fresh white noodles of medium thickness are preferred, but dried noodles can be used adjusting quantity and cooking time accordingly.
- The recipe is moderately spicy but can be adjusted by reducing chili paste, Sichuan pepper, and chili oil.
- The portion of pork is small, meant to be a flavorful addition rather than dominant; can be doubled for more meat.
- Adding extra steamed Asian greens can make the dish more substantial.
- Nutritional values are estimated per serving of four.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/4 recipe)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: Forty-Five g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
