Dan Dan Noodles

Before we start, let me clarify something. I don’t pretend to know how to make every dish China has to offer. It’s a big country! But when I make up my mind to learn how to make a dish (usually one I personally love), I’m big on research. I study the origins of the dish, compare recipes, look at Chinese cooking websites, and test recipes several times before the final result is approved by our critics (i.e. Bill, Sarah, and Kaitlin). We must have tried no fewer than a dozen versions of this Dan Dan Noodles recipe. It’s one of those dishes that’s so widespread among Chinese noodle recipes, there are a lot of variations out there. Right off the bat, I knew Dan Dan Noodles was going to be a tough recipe to nail down. Last weekend, we did three tries. An arduous process that sounded something like this:

Bill: It needs some sugar to balance the saltiness.

Kaitlin: No, it doesn’t have so much sesame paste. More salt!

Sarah: More chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns! This isn’t preschool…we need to go spicier!

Judy: It’s supposed to have a touch of vinegar, and we have to use the right noodles, people!

These claims, along with MANY other unsolicited opinions and advice times ten. This is our family! I’m not going to sugar coat this recipe. Dan Dan noodles aren’t all that simple to make. The dish requires many different ingredients to accomplish a layered, complex flavor. But you can think of this dish having four parts: the chili oil, the meat mixture and sui mi ya cai (pickled vegetables you can find at your Chinese grocery store…see photo below), the sauce, and the noodles/leafy greens. Divide and conquer. With this tested and approved recipe, you’ve won half of the battle already. No guts, no glory.

Before we launch into making this epic Dan Dan Noodles recipe, we have to also mention some of our other traditional noodle recipes we loved while we in China including 15-Minute Chinese Hot Oil Noodles (You Po Mian), and Beijing Fried Sauce Noodles – Zha Jiang Mian.

Ok, take a deep breath and here we go with the recipe!

Learn more about Sui Mi Ya Cai (碎米芽菜) and other preserved ingredients on our Chinese Dried and Preserved Ingredients info page!

A Source for Sichuan INgredients

If you can’t find sui mi ya cai at your local Chinese grocery, or you don’t have a grocer near you, check out The Mala Market. They have a curated collection of spices, dry goods, pickles, and sauces, and they also sell sui mi ya cai!

Part 1: Dan Dan Noodles – The Chili Oil

2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
1 inch-long piece of Chinese cinnamon (gui-pi)
2 star anise
1 cup oil
1/4 cup crushed red pepper flakes

In a small pot, add the Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon stick, star anise, and oil. Over medium low heat, slowly heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and then turn off the heat. Wait 6-7 minutes, then remove the peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and star anise with a slotted spoon.

Add the crushed red pepper flakes and allow them to steep in the hot oil. It should start smelling fragrant, almost like popcorn. Allow the oil to cool. This makes more chili oil than you’ll need, but you’ll be glad to have it on hand for use in other dishes. Store in a glass jar and keep refrigerated.

Tip: the crushed red pepper flakes are quite spicy, so if you want a milder chili oil, buy whole dried red chilies from any Asian market, de-seed them, and then use a food processor to chop them into flakes to make the oil. You can also check out Kaitlin’s post for How to Make Chili oil if you want to make a larger batch to keep around!

Part 2: Dan Dan Noodles – The Meat Mixture

3 teaspoons oil
8 oz. ground pork
2 teaspoons sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
1/3 cup sui mi ya cai

In a wok, heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat, and brown the ground pork.

Add the sweet bean sauce, shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, and five spice powder. Cook until all the liquid is evaporated. Set aside. Heat the other 2 teaspoons of oil in the wok over medium heat, and sautee the sui mi ya ci (pickled vegetables) for a few minutes. Set aside.

Part 3: Dan Dan Noodles – The Sauce

Makes enough Dan Dan Noodles sauce for 1 lb. noodles

2 tablespoons sesame paste (tahini)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn powder (we ground whole Sichuan peppercorns in a mortar and pestle)
1/2 cup of your prepared chili oil (scary, but yes!)
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
¼ cup hot cooking water from the noodles

Mix together all the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning if you like. You can loosen it with more hot water, add more Sichuan peppercorn powder, etc.

Part 4: Dan Dan Noodles – Noodles, Vegetables, and Assembly

1 lb fresh or dried white noodles, medium thickness
1 small bunch leafy greens (spinach, bok choy, or choy sum)
chopped peanuts
chopped scallion (optional)

Cook the noodles according to package directions and drain. We used fresh noodles, but dry noodles are great too. I actually might prefer the dried, because they’re a bit less starchy. (Now would be the time to add some of the noodle cooking water to your sauce). Blanch the greens in the noodle water, and drain. To assemble, divide the sauce among six bowls (or four if you want larger servings)…