Dan Dan Noodles (担担面)
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Servings
6 servings
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Calories
636 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Appetizer
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Cuisine
Chinese
Dan Dan Noodles (担担面)
Description
Dan Dan Noodles combine a thick sesame-based sauce with a spicy, aromatic pork topping cooked with ginger, fermented black beans, and Sichuan preserved mustard greens. The sauce is blended from Chinese sesame paste or peanut butter with soy sauce, chinkiang vinegar, garlic, green onions, honey, and freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns, creating a tangy, nutty, and slightly sweet base with characteristic numbness from the peppercorns.
The pork topping is stir-fried until dark brown and fragrant, providing a salty, savory contrast to the creamy sauce. Cooked thin wheat noodles are paired with blanched greens like spinach or baby bok choy for freshness. Chili oil is added to adjust spice levels and bring additional aroma.
The dish assembles by layering sauce, noodles, chili oil, pork, greens, and roasted crushed peanuts for texture. This mixture of flavors and textures produces a complex and satisfying meal that is traditionally served warm and enjoyed for its bold seasoning. Chili oil enhances the aroma even if less heat is desired.
Ingredients
Noodle sauce
- 1/3 cup Chinese sesame paste (or unsweetened natural peanut butter)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce or soy sauce, light
- 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 peppercorn toasted and grounded (*footnote 2
Pork topping
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 2 green onions , chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fermented black beans , rinsed and chopped
- 1/2 cup Sui Mi Ya Cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens)
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
To assemble
- 1/3 cup peanuts crushed, roasted
- 14 oz dan dan noodles (or thin wheat noodles)
- 1 small batch leafy green vegetables roughly chopped (spinach, choy sum, baby bok choy etc
- Chili oil to taste (*footnote 1, homemade
Instructions
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.
Notes
- Include chili oil in the sauce for aroma even if you prefer less spicy food.
- Toast Sichuan peppercorns in oil until dark brown, then grind for a milder, rounded flavor that blends well in cold dishes and sauces.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 636 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 636kcal | 32% |
| Carbohydrates | 30.5g | 10% |
| Protein | 25.6g | 51% |
| Fat | 27.8g | 43% |
| Cholesterol | 47mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 980mg | 41% |
| Fiber | 4.6g | 18% |
| Sugar | 9.1g | 18% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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