Dan Dan Noodles (æ‹ æ‹ é¢)

• servings: 6 servings
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1/3 cup Chinese sesame paste (or unsweetened natural peanut butter)

1/3 cup light soy sauce (or soy sauce)

1/4 cup Chinkiang vinegar

4 cloves garlic , finely minced

2 green onion , finely minced

2 tablespoons honey (or agave syrup)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns , toasted and grounded (*footnote 2)

Directions

Prepare sauce

Whisk the sesame paste and light soy sauce together in a bowl until fully incorporated. Add the Chinkiang vinegar. Continue stirring until mixed. Then mix in the garlic, green onion, honey, and Sichuan peppercorns.

Prepare the pork topping

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the pork. Cook and stir until the surface is lightly browned.

Turn to medium heat. Add the ginger, green onion, fermented black beans, Sui Mi Ya Cai, cooking wine, and sugar. Cook and chop the pork into small pieces, until all the liquid has evaporated and the pork turns a dark brown color. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Prepare the noodles

Cook the noodles according to instructions.

Briefly blanch the leafy green vegetables, drain, and set aside.

To assemble the noodle bowls

For each noodle bowl, add 1/4 cup of noodle sauce. Add the chili oil according to your taste. Add some noodles, then top with a few spoonfuls of the cooked pork and green veggies. Garnish with peanut crumbles and chopped green onion. Sprinkle with a pinch of toasted ground Sichuan peppercorn, if you like the numbing taste.

Serve hot or cold.

Nutrition

• Calories: 636 kcal
• Total Fat: 27.8 g
• Cholesterol: 47 mg
• Sodium: 980 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 30.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.6 g
• Total Sugars: 9.1 g
• Protein: 25.6 g