Dan-Dan Noodles are a specialty of Sichuan cuisine and as a result they are not short on spice or flavour. Enjoyed all over China, there are perhaps a thousand versions of these classic noodles but they all have one of thing in common – they’re all ferociously fiery! Lip-numbing and sinus-clearing; these noodles are completely addictive!

Also known as dandanmian, “DanDan” refers to the shoulder-mounted pole that the street vendors would traditionally use to carry their wares; at one end would be the noodles and at the other, the sauce. In the literal sense, the name translates as “noodles carried on a pole”!

Traditionally minced pork is the protein of choice, but if you wanted to, you could always use minced chicken thighs instead. If you wanted to have a completely halal version you could also omit the Shaoxing rice wine.

One of the other main ingredients is chilli oil and whilst you can use one that is store-bought, I would strongly recommend taking the time to make your own – it isn’t at all difficult and it makes a world of difference! Once you’ve tasted the noodles made with your homemade chilli oil you’ll never bother with the store-bought version again. If you would like to make your own Sichuan chilli oil, follow the link.

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Dan-Dan Noodles: Serves 2

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 150g pork mince (or minced chicken thighs)
• 1 tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 tsp. bean sauce
• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 1 tsp. light soya sauce
• Salt
• 200g dried Chinese wheat flour noodles
• 100g Chinese greens, like bok choy

For the sauce:

• 2 tsp. light soya sauce
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Chinkiang (black) vinegar
• 2-3 tbsp. chilli oil (with some sediment), to taste
• 2 tbsp. Spring onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. mustard pickle or pickled radish
• 300ml noodle cooking water

Method:

1. Heat a wok over a high heat
2. Pour in the oil and swirl it around to coat the sides of the wok
3. Add meat and stir-fry until it changes colour
4. Add the Shaoxing and continue to fry for another minute or until the wine has evaporated
5. Add the bean sauce and sugar, stir-fry until fragrant
6. Finally add the light soya sauce and a pinch of salt to taste
7. Continue stir-frying until everything is glossy
8. Remove from the wok and set aside
9. Combine all the sauce ingredients (except the water) into a bowl
10. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the noodles until toothsome (al dente), about 2-3 minutes
11. A minute before the noodles are done, add your greens to the same pot
12. Scoop out 300ml of the cooking liquid and add to the other sauce ingredients
13. Divide the sauce into two separate serving bowls
14. Remove the cooked greens and drain the noodles
15. Add the noodles to the serving bowls
16. Top with meat and greens
17. Eat immediately