Okay, this is real Sichuan street food. 担担面 (dan dan mian). The name comes from the carrying pole - 担担 - that vendors used to balance their supplies when walking around selling noodles. Very clever design actually.
My version is vegetarian. I use shiitake mushrooms and 芽菜 (ya cai - preserved vegetables) instead of pork. Trust me, you won't miss the meat. The flavor is all in the sauce anyway.
真的很好吃 (zhen de hen hao chi) - really delicious. You should try making this. Come to my kitchen sometime, I'll show you how!
Ingredients 材料
- 200g dried wheat noodles (fresh is better if you can find)
- 150g shiitake mushrooms, dice them small
- 2 tbsp 芽菜 ya cai (Sichuan preserved vegetables)
- 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (tahini works but 芝麻酱 is better)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce 酱油
- 1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar 香醋
- 1 tbsp chili oil - get the sediment too, that's where the flavor is!
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder 花椒粉
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp hot noodle water (don't throw it away!)
- Spring onions and roasted peanuts for top
Steps 步骤
- Make the sauce first. In each bowl, mix sesame paste, soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, 花椒 powder, sugar, garlic. This sauce is the 灵魂 (ling hun - soul) of the dish. Taste it! Adjust if needed.
- Cook the topping. Dry wok, medium-high heat. Put mushrooms in, let them release water and get a little brown, about 5 minutes. Add ya cai, stir one more minute. Set aside.
- Cook noodles. Boil according to package. Before you drain, take 3 tablespoons of that starchy water and put in each sauce bowl. Mix it - this loosens the paste. Very important step!
- Put together. Drain noodles, divide into bowls. Put mushroom mixture on top, then spring onions and crushed peanuts.
- Mix and eat! 搅拌 (jiao ban) - stir everything from the bottom. Every noodle should be coated. Don't be shy about it!
真正的担担面要拌匀 - the magic is in the mixing. Get your chopsticks in there and really stir. Being polite will not help you here.