Dan Dan Noodles - A Spicy Sichuan Noodle Dish

Ingredients

For the Chili Oil:

• 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 inch-long piece of cinnamon
• 2 star anise
• 1 cup oil
• ¼ cup crushed red pepper flakes

For the Meat and Sui Mi Ya Cai:

• 3 teaspoons oil
• 8 oz. ground pork
• 2 teaspoons sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon five spice powder
• ⅓ cup sui mi ya cai

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons sesame paste (tahini)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon five spice powder
• ½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn powder (we ground whole Sichuan peppercorns in a mortar and pestle)
• ½ cup of your prepared chili oil (scary, but yes!)
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
• ¼ cup hot cooking water from the noodles

For the Noodles & Veg:

• 1 lb fresh or dried white noodles, medium thickness
• 1 small bunch leafy greens (spinach, bok choy, or choy sum)
• chopped peanuts (optional)
• chopped scallion (optional)

Instructions

• to form the chili oil: in an exceedingly little pot, add the Szechuan peppercorns, cinnamon stick, star anise, and oil. Over medium low heat, slowly heat to 325 degrees, so put off the warmth. Wait half-dozen - seven minutes, then take away the peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and star anise with a slotted spoon.

• Add the crushed red pepper flakes and permit them to steep within the hot oil. It ought to begin smelling sweet-smelling, virtually like popcorn. permit the oil to chill. This makes a lot of chili oil than you’ll want, however you’ll be glad to own it existing to be used in different dishes. Store in an exceedingly glass jar and keep cold.

• Tip: the crushed red pepper flakes square measure quite spicy, thus if you would like a milder chili oil, obtain whole dried red chilies from any Asian market, de-seed them, so use a kitchen appliance to cut them into flakes to form the oil.

• to form the meat mixture: in an exceedingly pan, heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat, and brown the bottom pork. Add the sweet bean sauce, shaoxing wine, dark soy, and 5 spice powder. Cook till all the liquid is gaseous. Set aside.

• Heat the opposite two teaspoons of oil within the pan over medium heat, and sautee the sui mi ya ci (pickled vegetables) for some minutes. Set aside.

• to form the sauce: combine along all the ingredients. style and modify seasoning if you wish. you'll be able to loosen it with a lot of quandary, add a lot of Szechuan pepper powder, etc.

• to arrange the noodles and veggies & assemble: Cook the noodles in step with package directions and drain. Blanch the greens within the noodle water, and drain.

• Divide the sauce among four bowls, followed by the noodles and therefore the ivy-covered greens. Add the steamed pork and sui mi ya cai over the highest. Sprinkle with sliced peanuts and scallions (totally optional!) if you wish, and blend everything along. Enjoy!