Sesame (Dan Dan) Noodles

Olivia Homecook
by Olivia Homecook
4 Portions
45 min

When I say sichuan, for those of you who know it, you probably conjure up images of deep red chilli pepper and that iconic numbing sensation on your tongue.
































Well, for sichuan pepper lovers, look no further than this dish! The dish is surprisingly balanced with a tasteful amount of sugar and added richness from the sesame paste which also helps the sauce to coat the noodles.
















There are actually soup variants of this recipe so if you like this one, you'll probably enjoy those too. However, the dry style Dan Dan noodles shown here is more true to its origin.








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Recipe details
  • 4  Portions
  • Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 30 Minutes Total time: 45 min
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Ingredients
For Spicy Sesame Sauce
  • 3 tbsp sesame paste or tahini
  • 2 tbsp Chinese chilli paste in oil
  • 5 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 4 tsp white sugar
  • ⅓ tsp Chinese five spice powder
  • 1½ tsp ground Sichuan pepper
  • 4 tbsp chilli oil
  • ½ cup (125ml) hot chicken broth/stock
For Minced Pork Topping
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ yellow onion chopped
  • 3 tsp Hoisin sauce
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or Japanese sake or Sherry
  • ½ tsp Chinese five spice powder
  • 250g/ 8oz minced pork
  • ½ tbsp sugar
  • A pinch of ground black pepper
  • Salt (if needed and adjust to your taste)
  • 500g/1lb dried egg noodles (cook the noodles as per packet instructions and drain the water)
  • Chopped spring onion (for garnish)
Instructions
For Spicy Sesame Sauce
In a medium bowl mix all the ingredients except the chicken stock, gently stir with a spoon. Once mixed, add the chicken stock and stir again until just mixed. Set aside.
For Minced Pork Topping
In a wok pan or non-stick frying pan, add the oil, garlic and onion, cook over medium heat.
Add the minced pork, stir and cook until the pork is cooked.
Add the hoisin sauce, cooking wine, dark soy, spice powder, sugar and black pepper. Stir fry until the sauce is mixed well and has been absorbed into the pork. Add salt if needed.
On a deep plate, pour 2 tablespoons of the prepared spicy sesame sauce, on top, add a portion of the boiled noodles, then top with minced pork and garnish with spring onion.
Comments
  • Cso51108026 Cso51108026 on Jan 28, 2024

    This is off-the-chair delicious! The only ingredient I actually did not have was chili oil (thought I did, but was wrong); I substituted a drizzle of sesame oil and sauteed some crushed red peppers in it (maybe a teaspoon?). The heat hits you, yes (though, you have some control over it), but the Hoisin brings sweet and the Soy brings salt. I used linguine (my "Asian" noodles were vermicelli rice noodles and I wasn't sure they'd support the weight of the meat/sauce as well), and I WISH I'd doubled the meat/sauce. It was THAT good! And it came together fast. That's a power 1-2 punch for any weeknight!! Thank you so much for posting; love to see what else you've got!!! ~Chrissie

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