Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles – Spicy Sesame Noodles with Pork and Chilli Oil

About This Recipe

Dan dan noodles are one of the great dishes of Sichuan cuisine — thin wheat noodles bathed in a sauce that is simultaneously spicy, numbing from Sichuan peppercorn, nutty from sesame paste and peanuts, salty and savoury. The characteristic 'ma la' (numbing-spicy) sensation of Sichuan peppercorn is what makes this dish unlike anything from any other cuisine — it creates a tingling, almost electric sensation on the tongue that amplifies the chilli heat rather than simply adding to it. The sauce is assembled from an arsenal of Chinese pantry ingredients: sesame paste or peanut butter for richness, soy sauce for saltiness, Chinese black vinegar for acidity, a great deal of chilli oil for heat, and freshly ground Sichuan peppercorn for the numbing quality. The noodles are dressed in this sauce and topped with a small amount of fried minced pork (the 'dan dan' refers to the shoulder pole once used by street vendors to carry their pots), ya cai (preserved vegetables) for crunch, and fresh spring onions. Dan dan noodles are a dish where the garnishes and condiments are as important as the noodles themselves — each element contributes a different dimension. It comes together in 15 minutes and delivers flavours that feel impossibly complex for the effort involved.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 200 gthin wheat noodles or ramen noodles
• 150 gminced pork
• 2 tbspChinese sesame paste or peanut butter
• 3 tbspchilli oil with sediment
• 2 tbsplight soy sauce
• 1 tbspChinese black vinegar
• 1 tspSichuan peppercorn(toasted and ground)
• 1 tbspsesame oil
• 2 tspsugar
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3 tbspya cai (Yibin preserved vegetables) or kimchi(roughly chopped)
• 3spring onions(thinly sliced)
• 100 mlnoodle cooking water

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the sauce

   Whisk sesame paste, chilli oil, soy sauce, black vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic and ground Sichuan peppercorn together. Thin with 2–3 tbsp warm water to a pourable consistency.

   Taste the sauce before assembling — it should be bold and intense. Adjust heat, salt and sesame balance.

2. 2

   Fry the pork

   Fry minced pork in a hot dry pan until browned and crispy. Add ya cai and fry 1 more minute. Season with a splash of soy sauce.

3. 3

   Cook noodles

   Cook noodles according to package instructions. Reserve cooking water. Drain.

4. 4

   Assemble

   Divide sauce between two bowls. Add a splash of hot noodle water and stir. Add noodles and toss to coat. Top with pork mixture and spring onions. Add extra chilli oil to taste.

Variations

• •

  Vegetarian dan dan: replace pork with dried shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped and fried until crispy.

• •

  Use the sauce as a cold noodle dressing in summer — cool the noodles first.

Storage

Sauce keeps 1 week in the fridge. Assemble noodles fresh — dressed noodles don't keep.

Frequently Asked Questions