Dan Dan Noodles
Dan Dan noodles are named after the bamboo carrying poles (dan) used by street vendors in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, who carried two baskets on their shoulders — one with noodles, the other with sauce and seasonings — and cooked small portions right on the street. The name therefore describes the carrying tool, not the ingredients; the authentic street version was served in small portions, precisely so it was easy to carry and eat on the go. What separates successful Dan Dan noodles from a diluted commercial version comes down to two factors: the meat has to be fried completely dry, with no sauce added to the pan, so it stays crisp and crumbly — if simmered in liquid, it turns soft and loses its contrasting texture; and the sauce sits at the bottom of the bowl, under the hot noodles, not mixed in beforehand — only at the table, when everything is tossed from the bottom up, does the concentrated sauce distribute evenly, instead of being diluted too early by residual cooking water.
Chili oil with Sichuan peppercorns
The characteristic numbing tingle comes from the peppercorns, not just heat
Minced meat dry-fried, no sauce
Turns crisp and crumbly, not simmered in liquid
Sesame paste or peanut butter in the sauce
Adds creaminess and rounds out the heat
Sauce sits in the bowl, noodles poured over
Mixed together at the table, not cooked together
Ingredients 4 servings
- 400g dried wheat noodles
- 200g minced pork
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp sesame paste (or peanut butter)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp chili oil with sediment
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp black vinegar
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- Crushed roasted peanuts, to serve
How to make it
- 1DRY-FRY THE MEAT: heat a pan with no oil over medium-high heat, add the minced pork and brown it well for 6-7 minutes, breaking it up finely with a spoon, until it turns crisp and completely dry, with no trace of liquid.
- 2PREPARE THE SAUCE: mix the sesame paste with the soy sauce, black vinegar and chopped garlic in a small bowl, gradually thinning with a little warm water until you get a pourable consistency.
- 3DIVIDE INTO BOWLS: put 1-2 tablespoons of sauce and 1 tablespoon of chili oil in the bottom of each bowl, without mixing yet.
- 4BOIL THE NOODLES: bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook the noodles according to the package instructions until al dente, then drain well.
- 5ASSEMBLE: pile the hot noodles over the sauce in the bowls, top with the fried meat, chopped spring onion and ground Sichuan peppercorns.
- 6SERVE: sprinkle crushed peanuts on top and serve immediately, instructing everyone to mix everything well before eating — the sauce sits at the bottom and needs to be lifted up from below.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
