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    Home » Recipes » Noodles

    Dan Dan Noodles

    September 21, 2020 by Elaine 69 Comments | Jump to Recipe

    Famous Szechuan style Dan dan noodles (担担面) is one of the most popular Chinese street foods.  To me, it is one of the top Chinese noodles.  But it is quite hard to define an authentic dan dan noodles. In Sichuan, it is crispy, spicy and numbing (caused by Sichuan peppercorns), with lots of variations in different restaurants. However, in other Sichuan restaurants outside this area, it might be crispy, slightly spicy and sweet. So I am not brave enough to call this an authentic dan dan noodle recipe, but it is the easiest way to put together a yummy and satisfying dan dan noodles.

    dan dan noodles|chinasichuanfood.com

    History of Dan Dan Noodles

    Dandan in the name actually refers to a carrying pole(扁担 in Chinese ). In the past, the vendors carried the noodles and the sauces to sell them on the street. When you order one bowl of dan dan noodles, the vender mix the noodle with the pre-pared sauce and top with the pork topping. With this traditional method, the authentic dan dan noodle cannot be soupy.

    dan dan noodles|chinasichuanfood.com

    Important ingredients for dan dan noodles

    With the traditional method, we serve dan dan noodles with fried soy beans or peas. They present the highest level of crispness. Usually we fry a larger batch each time. You can simply mix the remaining with salt and sugar, serving just as a snack. If you do not want to brother for frying, when you use crushed toast peanuts. Peanuts topping becomes a more popular option in recent days.  Just roughly crushed. 

    dan dan noodles|chinasichuanfood.com

    Ya-cai(芽菜) is one of the three most important and famous preserved vegetables in Sichuan cuisine. The other two are pickled zha cai and black salted turnip. Making different types of pickled and preserved vegetables is one of the daily cooking tasks of housewives in Sichuan province. Traditionally, we will have a large jar for keeping this unique ingredient. However, only packaged bags are available  in most of the market. Packed Ya cai tastes a little bit over salty to many because it is usually used as seasonings other than side ingredients. For example, in this Dan Dan noodles, after mixing with the noodle, the salty flavor will be reduced greatly.  If you need to watch salt intake, you can soak the pickled vegetable in cold water for 10 minutes and then strain before using. 

    dan dan noodles|chinasichuanfood.com

    Sichuan red oil (四川红油) makes the noodle spicy and slightly numbing. Even if you cannot handle spicy food, at least ½ tablespoon of Sichuan red oil should be used in the mixed seasoning to compete the flavor. By the way, the red oil should be prepared at least 24 hours ago, so the capsaicin and red color can be well mixed with the oil.

    Cook's Note

    1. The noodle is not over overwhelming hot. So don't add too much oil, otherwise the combined flour will be completely covered by hotness. 
    2. If you need to watch salt intake, you can soak the pickled vegetable (Ya Cai) in cold water for 10 minutes and then strain before using. 
    3. Please do not use large raman noodle bowls to serve dan dan noodles. Choose smaller ones and serve with a small amount of soup base (chicken stock or pork stock), so the noodles can be eaten up within minutes when the noodles are still hot and the pork topping are crispy. 
    4. The noodle should be slightly soupy before mixing but gets a lo mein texture after mixing. 
    5. I make a larger batch of topping this time, which can be further serving 9 bowls of dan dan noodles.  You can save the leftover and use it for later noodles, soups or fried rice (Dan dan fried rice is fabulous).
    dan dan noodles|chinasichuanfood.com

    Instructions

    Heat oil in wok and then fry star anise and Sichuan peppercorn with slowest fire until aromatic. Then remove the spices. Add minced pork and fry for several minutes until slightly browned. Drizzle cooking wine around the edges. Then place sugar and light soy sauce in.
    dan dan noodles|chinasichuanfood.com
    Add Ya cai in, continue frying for 3-5 minutes until dry and golden brown. 
    dan dan noodles|chinasichuanfood.com

    Mix all the seasonings for each serving in noodles bowls. Then mix well and let the sauce combine together.

    dan dan noodles|chinasichuanfood.com

    Cook noodles in boiling water according to the instructions on the package and blanch vegetables in the last minutes when the noodles are almost ready. Transfer the noodles to the serving bowl.

    dan dan noodles|chinasichuanfood.com

    Top with pork topping, chopped scallion and toasted peanuts. Pour around ½ cup hot pork stock or chicken stock along with the edges. Mix well before eating.

    Dan Dan Noodles |chinasichuanfood.com

    Other Sichuan recipes on the blog

    1. Mapo tofu
    2. Twice cooked pork
    3. Chongqing small noodles
    4. Chongqing mala chicken
    5. Kung pao chicken
    dan dan noodles|chinasichuanfood.com
    dan dan noodles|chinasichuanfood.com

    Dan Dan Noodles

    Dan Dan Noodles for two people
    5 from 15 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Sichuan
    Keyword: noodles
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 406kcal
    Author: Elaine

    Ingredients

    • 3 servings fresh noodles , around 200g
    • chopped scallion
    • blanched vegetables
    • Chicken stock or pork stock
    • toasted peanuts , roughly crushed

    Pork topping

    • 400 g minced pork ,with some fat
    • 2 tbsp. cooking oil
    • 1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorn
    • 1 star anise
    • ½ tbsp. minced garlic
    • ½ tbsp. Shaoxing cooking wine
    • ½ tsp. sugar
    • 1 cup ya-cai
    • 1 tbsp. low sodium light soy sauce

    Mixed Seasonings for each serving

    • 1 tsp. sesame paste
    • 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
    • 1 tsp. sesame oil
    • 1 tbsp. chili oil
    • 1 tsp. black vinegar
    • chopped scallion
    • ¼ tsp. Sichuan peppercorn powder

    Instructions

    Make the pork topping

    • Heat oil in wok and then fry star anise and Sichuan peppercorn with slowest fire until aromatic. Then remove the spices.
    • Add minced pork and fry for several minutes until slightly browned. Drizzle cooking wine around the edges. Then place sugar and light soy sauce in.
    • Add Ya cai in, continue frying for 3-5 minutes until dry and golden brown.

    Cook noodles and serve

    • Mix all the seasonings in serving bowls. Combine well.
    • Cook noodles in boiling water according to the instructions on the package and blanch vegetables in the last minutes when the noodles are almost ready. Transfer the noodles to the serving bowl.
    • Top with pork topping, chopped scallion and toasted peanuts. Pour around ½ cup hot pork stock or chicken stock along with the edges. Mix well before eating.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 590mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @ChinaSichuanFood or tag #ElaineCSF!
    Dan Dan Noodles |chinasichuanfood.com
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. David

      January 13, 2014 at 5:10 am

      Hi Elaine,
      Do you know how to make the la mian dough (hand-pulled) ? It is something that I can't find on internet... Perhaps you can help me ?
      Cheers & happy new year by the way!
      David

      Reply
      • Elaine Luo

        January 13, 2014 at 6:37 am

        Hi David,

        Making la mian dough is not easy. I am so sorry that I cannot help right now. In China, the cooks add peng gray named as 蓬灰 to increase tenacity. And the skills of pull the la mian need long practice. To tell the truth, I do not want the peng gray used in my kitchen. But you can hand-pulled homemade noodles at home. I will try to come up with a hand-pulled noodle recipe if that's also acceptable for you.

        Reply
        • Hotcha

          August 27, 2017 at 9:36 pm

          Thank you Elaine for the hint to this food additive. Now I know I will never be able to pull the noodles like they do in the Youtube videos.

          I sometimes make fresh noodles every day : mix wheat flour with water and some salt (3-5%) and knead it thoroughly for at least 10 minutes. Punch the dough really hard from time to time; I even throw it with full force onto the kitchen table. You'll get a dough that's elastic. If you take the dough by one end and beat it onto the table, it should still stay in one piece. Cover with transparent foil and let rest for an hour. Repeat the kneading and punching process, then make elliptical balls of about 40 grams each. Brush some sesame oil on each ball, cover them for an hour. To finish, roll out in the shape of a fish (means, long, not wide or square). Make three or four cuts into the dough, but not all the way through. Then take the 'fish' in both hands and pull. Boil immediately in chicken soup, for instance. Enjoy!

          Reply
          • Elaine

            August 29, 2017 at 9:09 am

            Hi Hotcha,
            That's a great way. We have a similar noodle dish in China named as 浆水鱼鱼. It is shaped as fish too. It is much easier and quicker then normal hand-pulled noodles. But believe that making hand-pulled noodles is not as difficult as imagine. Two or three times of practices can improve the skills greatly.

            Reply
    2. David

      January 13, 2014 at 10:58 am

      Ha Ok...I also don't like chemical things i my kitchen either...This is a good reaction.

      Reply
    3. amy

      March 07, 2014 at 4:18 pm

      I showed my daughter this recipe and we are very excited to try it. I have to figure out where to buy the pickled vegetables.....

      Reply
      • Elaine Luo

        March 07, 2014 at 8:00 pm

        Hi Amy,

        That's really great if you can buy the pickled vegetables. Come and try. I would love to hear your feedback.

        Reply
    4. Kevin Hyatt

      December 09, 2014 at 9:42 am

      Just made this for lunch for myself, the wife and the twins. Very tasty and everyone liked it!

      First recipe I have tried from here and I couldn't find Zhai cai or ya cai. Also didn't have chicken stock but still was nice.

      Thanks very much for a lovely recipe! I'll be sure to try more in future.

      Reply
      • Elaine Luo

        December 11, 2014 at 1:51 am

        Hi Kevin,
        Thanks for the lovely feedback. I am so glad your family love it too.

        Reply
    5. Bhab

      December 14, 2014 at 11:32 am

      i like to said where i find out a pikkle vegetables, kindly let me know.
      thank you so much
      chef magar

      Reply
      • Elaine Luo

        December 15, 2014 at 1:19 am

        Hi Chef Magar,
        You can try to get some from larger Asian stores or try to search online.

        Reply
    6. Nami | Just One Cookbook

      May 22, 2015 at 1:50 pm

      This is my husband's favorite food! Oh wow yours look amazing from the photos... Will save the recipe and try at home after the remodel this summer. Can't wait! I hope I can make it good like yours! 🙂

      Reply
      • Elaine Luo

        May 24, 2015 at 8:30 pm

        Thanks Nami. Dan Dan Noodles with some chicken soup is my favorite noodle dish. Go ahead and enjoy with your family.

        Reply
    7. Singh

      May 28, 2015 at 9:32 am

      Hi Elaine,

      I am a big fan of Sichuan Cuisine.

      Looks like your 2013 version of Dan Dan noodles had less oil but in this latest recipe picture I can see a lot of oil or is it chicken broth?
      Also I always choose wrong noodles because there are so many options in store. So can you share online link (from amazon) for noodles that you use for Dan Dan noodles?

      thanks....

      Reply
      • Elaine Luo

        May 28, 2015 at 8:00 pm

        Hi Singh,
        The oily looking is coming from the chicken broth with the red oil floating on the surface, as I have not mixed them before shooting. I slightly add more chicken broth in the new version for a more moist texture.

        As for the noodles, we have a special noodle for dan dan noodles, but I failed to find it on amazon.We are using thin and round fresh alkaline noodles for an authentic Szechuan style dan dan noodles. You can choose thin and round egg noodles to replace it.

        Reply
        • Singh

          June 30, 2015 at 2:03 pm

          Hi Elaine,

          I tried the Dan Dan noodles following your recipe and it turned out great.

          I was trying to find a Sichuan garlic sauce recipe similar to below link. I would be great if you can share a Sichuan version on spicy garlic sauce.

          http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/han-dynasty-cherry-hill?select=aIWbN7L8bVtnQM1TkHXFhg

          Also I couldn't find contact us page where I can submit my requests so I am using this space for requesting a Sichuan Garlic Sauce recipe.

          Thanks.....

          Reply
          • Elaine

            July 01, 2015 at 7:26 pm

            Hi Singh,
            This spicy garlic sauce is known as fish fragrance sauce. You can refer to this https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/yu-xiang-qie-zi-sichuan-eggplant/ and there is a stir fry sauce in the recipe. Adding garlic, ginger and green onions into the stir fry sauce to make ready to go fish fragrance sauce. It is really yummy!

            Reply
    8. David Boyd

      July 29, 2015 at 2:04 pm

      Hi Elaine,
      I really enjoy your website. Are the use of soybeans (or peanuts) a new style for Dandan in Chengdu? I did not see that variation when I was there. I came on the site today because I am making dandan tonight and wanted to print out your recipe. I am excited to try the new one.
      Best,
      David

      Reply
      • Elaine

        August 01, 2015 at 7:51 pm

        Hi David,

        The fried soybeans or peanuts added in fact gives the noodles a crispy taste. It is not necessary but quite helpful to highlight the noodles, just like used in other Chinese noodles.
        Happy cooking ahead and wish you enjoy it.

        Elaine

        Reply
        • David Boyd

          August 10, 2015 at 11:26 am

          Elaine,
          This recipe was delicious. It is my new standard!
          David

          Reply
          • Elaine

            August 10, 2015 at 8:05 pm

            Thanks David for the lovely feedback. I am so glad that you love my favorite version too.

            Reply
    9. Adrian

      August 17, 2015 at 1:24 pm

      Hi, I love Dan Dan Noodles, I was just wondering why don't you use sichuan pepercorn in your recipe? Isn't it really important to get the unique "ma" flavour of the sichuan province?

      Reply
      • Elaine

        August 17, 2015 at 7:46 pm

        Hi Adrian,
        Good question. In fact, the homemade chili oil contains sichuan peppercorn. If you like a stronger Ma taste, add some powder or whole sichuan peppercorn to the pork topping.

        Reply
    10. Marianne boice

      September 12, 2015 at 10:02 am

      Elaine
      Can't wait yo try to make the recipe they look good
      Do you have a recipe off egg noddles?
      Thank
      Marianne

      Reply
      • Elaine

        September 13, 2015 at 7:14 pm

        Hi Marianne,

        You can use replace with eggless noodles. But choose slightly thinker ones than thin noodles.

        Reply
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