Description
Authentic Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles with a spicy, nutty sesame chili oil sauce, ground pork, preserved mustard greens, and fresh noodles. This recipe blends bold flavors and textures for a classic Chinese street food experience at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (substitute tahini)
- 1.5 tbsp Chinese chili paste in oil (adjust spiciness as desired)
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
- 1 tsp Sichuan pepper powder (preferably freshly ground)
- 3 tbsp (or more) chili oil (preferably Chinese style)
- 3/4 cup (185ml) hot low-sodium chicken broth/stock
- 2 tsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (substitute 2 tbsp extra chicken stock if unavailable)
Meat and Vegetables
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 250g (8oz) pork mince (ground pork)
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 30g (1/4 cup) Sui Mi Ya Cai (preserved mustard greens), finely chopped
- 16 choy sum stems, cut into 15cm pieces
- 2 green onions, finely sliced
Noodles and Garnishes
- 500g (1lb) fresh white noodles, medium thickness
- 1 tbsp peanuts, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: In a bowl, combine Chinese sesame paste, chili paste, light soy sauce, minced garlic, white sugar, Chinese five spice powder, Sichuan pepper powder, chili oil, hot chicken broth, hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, and Chinese cooking wine. Whisk thoroughly until smooth and set aside.
- Cook the pork: Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground pork and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add preserved mustard greens: Stir in the chopped Sui Mi Ya Cai (preserved mustard greens) and cook together with the pork for another 1-2 minutes to blend flavors.
- Cook the vegetables: In a separate pot of boiling water, blanch the choy sum stems for about 2-3 minutes until tender-crisp. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the fresh noodles according to package instructions until just tender, about 3-4 minutes. Drain well.
- Combine noodles and sauce: Immediately toss the hot cooked noodles with the prepared sauce mixture so the heat warms the sauce and combines flavors thoroughly.
- Assemble the dish: Divide the sauced noodles into serving bowls. Top each with the cooked pork and preserved mustard green mixture, blanched choy sum stems, sliced green onions, and chopped peanuts if using.
- Serve immediately: Serve the Dan Dan Noodles hot for the best taste and texture.
Notes
- Watch the recipe video to get a clear visual on assembling and sauce consistency.
- The dish combines intensely flavored spicy Sichuan sesame chili oil sauce with pork for a classic taste.
- Prepare all components except noodles ahead of time; cook noodles last to keep them piping hot.
- Tossing hot noodles with the warm sauce and pork helps everything blend and heat perfectly—the authentic Dan Dan way!
- Adjust chili oil and chili paste quantities to control the spiciness level to your preference.
- If Chinese sesame paste is unavailable, tahini works as an effective substitute though the flavor will be slightly different.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 604 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 1364 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
