Dan Dan Noodles

Dan Dan Noodles is a popular Chinese dish which has thick, egg and wheat noodles topped with ground pork or beef cooked in an extra spicy-sweet sauce. To finish off the dish, sprinkle a topping of salty peanuts and sliced scallions. Serve this with steamed vegetable greens on the side. Great as an appetizer, side dish or entree. This was inspired by Dan Dan Noodles and Homemade Chili Oil recipes from The Chinese Takeout Cookbook by Diana Kuan (Ballantine Books NY). Serves 4.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Keyword: Filipino Chinese Dan Dan Noodles

Servings: people

Calories: 141kcal

Author: Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Ingredients

12 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese sesame paste or tahini
1 Tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or use balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon homemade recipe follows in the procedure chili oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 whole cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 stalks scallions; white and green parts separated, sliced
1/2 pound ground pork or beef
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped dry roasted peanuts
3/4 cup vegetable oil for chili oil
1/4 cup sesame oil for chili oil
1/8 cup crushed red pepper flakes, for chili oil

Instructions

In a medium-sized pot of boiling water, blanche the fresh noodles for 1 minute. Remove the noodles from the hot water and using a colander, rinse in cold, running water for a few seconds. Set the noodles aside.
How to prepare the sauce: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame paste, black vinegar, chili oil, sesame oil, sugar, red pepper flakes and water. Whisk ingredients well.
Pour half of the sauce over the noodles. Blend and coat the noodles well. Reserve the other half of the sauce for cooking the pork.
In a large skillet or wok, over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil. When oil is hot enough in 1 to 2 minutes, saute the garlic, ginger, scallion whites. Stir around and cook for about 30 seconds.
Add the pork to the skillet. Stir fry for 5 minutes till pork becomes slightly crispy and turns brown.
Pour the reserved other half of the sauce over the pork. Continue cooking for 10 minutes more till meat is completely done. Season with salt.
Plate the noodles on a serving platter. Place the pork mixture over the noodles.
If desired, top the noodle dish with crushed peanuts. Garnish with sliced scallion greens all over.
How to make Homemade Chili Oil:
In a small heavy stockpot, heat the vegetable oil until an instant-read oil thermometer shows a temperature between 225 F and 250 F. Add the sesame oil red pepper flakes and stir. Turn off the heat. Remove the stockpot from the stove top and let it cool on the counter till it is at room temperature for at least 2 hours or overnight. Using a strainer, pour the chili oil into a small, clean glass jar. Store in a cool, dark area. Keeps for 1 to 2 months.
Cook's comments: I used fresh Chinese noodles which are made of egg and wheat, are thick and yellow-colored. These are pre-boiled and can be purchased in Asian markets (refrigerated section). The author used dried egg noodles in her original recipe. Feel free to use dried if more convenient. To cook noodles, follow the package directions. When cooked, mix into the rest of the ingredients according to the procedure above.
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Nutrition