Spicy and Creamy Purple Dandan Noodle
The spicy, bold flavoured Dandan noodle is a serious party in one’s mouth! There are two kinds of Dandan Noodles, the brothy kind, and the drier version, this is the latter.
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This Purple Dandanmian is made with the addition of sweet potato powder from Suncore Foods.
Dandan Mian is a simple street food sold by a street vendor carrying a pole over the shoulder with a noodle and sauce basket on each side. The word Dandan noodles refers to the "noodles carried on a pole. This spicy, tongue-numbing and tingling dish is originated from Szechuan province China, but it has evolved into so many different versions due to its popularity. Traditionally the thin wheat noodles are drenched in numbing chilli oil and topped with marinated minced meat cooked with Su Mi Ya Cai ( preserved mustard), garnished with minced garlic, crushed peanuts and some Chinese Greens.
A while back, I made a tasty addictive homemade chilli oil and immediately thought of Dandan noodles. One of crucial ingredients that gives Dandan noodle character is the kick from the Szechuan peppercorn. In the past, I avoided dishes with Szechuan peppercorns as personally, I’m not a fan of the whole peppercorn mouthfeel. I think it is a textural thing expecially when the overall dish is soft/smooth. But then, I learnt that the proper way of using Szechuan peppercorn is to first sort out the seeds from the husks. Low quality peppercorns might come with lots of black seeds, which can contribute to the unpleasant taste and mouthfeel. So make sure to take those out and only use the peppercorn husk for flavouring. They need to be toasted, cooled, and grounded, then sieve through to yield some smooth powder. This process is a game changer! This is an important step to make sure that the sauce is smooth, while still giving that lemony and kick of numbness we love.
The delicious hot mess is ready for your party.
Sesame paste is not added to purist style Dandan mian. However, I love Dandan Mian with it because it helps to tone down the punchy bold flavour that could be too strong for some, and make the noodle creamier ( you definitely can eat more). I also added some cooling cucumber slices instead of Chinese greens, for my personal preference. I love how the cucumbers help ease the fireworks from the sauce and add a textural interest to every bite.
Note: The recipe is called for Chinese Sesame Paste which is made from roasted sesame paste, so substitution with Tahini is highly not recommended. Secondly, Su mi ya cai, a type of preserved mustard is also an integral part of this recipe that can’t be skipped.
See how I made and assemble Dandan Mian in less than 30 seconds in this video below.
How to make creamy and spicy Dan dan Noodle
Note: Recipe references and further readings
Enjoy this delicious Dandanmian recipe!I would love to hear from you if you try making them!
Xx,
M