Zha Jiang Mian: Beijing’s signature noodles

Zha Jiang Mian: Beijing’s signature noodles

Ingredients

For the sauce:

· 4 tablespoons dry yellow soybean paste

· 1 tablespoon sweet bean sauce (or hoisin sauce)

· 300ml (1 1/4 cup) water

· 2 tablespoons cooking oil

· 1 star anise

· 2 stalks spring onion, chopped

· 1 teaspoon ginger, minced

· 200g (7oz) pork, diced (see note 1)

· 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine

For the vegetables

mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">· 150g / 5oz beansprouts

· 150g / 5oz fresh green soybeans (aka edamame)

· 1 large cucumber (about 400g/14oz), julienned

· 6 radish, sliced

For the noodles

· 4 portions fresh or dried noodles (see note 2)

Instructions

1. In a bowl, dilute dry yellow soybean paste and sweet bean sauce (or hoisin sauce) with water. Set aside.

2. Heat up oil in a wok (or a frying pan) over a medium high heat. Add star anise, spring onion (the green part) and ginger. Leave to sizzle until fragrant. Stir in pork and rice wine. Cook until the pork becomes pale.

3. Pour in the diluted sauce. Bring it to a boil then leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

4. Then boil on a full heat to thicken the sauce to the desired consistency. Stir in the white part of the spring onion.

5. Blanch beansprouts and green soybeans in boiling water (cucumber and radish are served raw). Take them out then drain. In the same pot, cook noodles. Drain and rinse under cold water for a few seconds.

6. Place noodles in four serving bowls, stir in the sauce then top with vegetables.

Source https://redhousespice.com