Chinese recipe

Dan dan noodles

Name: Dan dan noodles
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Chinese cuisine
Ingredients: 240 g fresh wheat noodles; 150 g ground pork; 15 ml neutral cooking oil; 25 g ya cai or preserved mustard greens, minced; rinse first if very salty; 10 ml Shaoxing wine; 6 g granulated sugar, divided: 4 g for sauce and 2 g for topping; 20 g tahini or Chinese sesame paste; 15 ml light soy sauce; 15 ml Chinkiang vinegar; 20 ml chile oil; 1 g Sichuan peppercorns, ground; 10 g garlic, finely grated; 120 ml hot noodle water; 30 g scallions, thinly sliced; 15 g roasted peanuts, crushed

Springy wheat noodles are layered over sesame-chile sauce and topped with savory pork and preserved greens.

Sichuan, China

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 2

Dan dan noodles coated in sesame-chile sauce with a pork topping, scallions, and crushed peanuts — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by N509FZSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 4.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

240 g
fresh wheat noodles
150 g
ground pork
15 ml
neutral cooking oil
25 g
ya cai or preserved mustard greens, minced; rinse first if very salty
10 ml
Shaoxing wine
6 g
granulated sugar, divided: 4 g for sauce and 2 g for topping
20 g
tahini or Chinese sesame paste
15 ml
light soy sauce
15 ml
Chinkiang vinegar
20 ml
chile oil
1 g
Sichuan peppercorns, ground
10 g
garlic, finely grated
120 ml
hot noodle water
30 g
scallions, thinly sliced
15 g
roasted peanuts, crushed

Method

01
Combine the sesame paste, soy sauce, vinegar, chile oil, 4 g sugar, pepper, and garlic, then divide equally between two serving bowls.
02
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Stir-fry the pork for 3–4 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and the centre reaches 71°C.
03
Add the preserved greens, Shaoxing wine, and the remaining 2 g sugar. Stir-fry for 1 minute until the topping is dry and fragrant.
04
Cook the noodles in boiling water according to the packet, usually 2–4 minutes. Reserve 120 ml noodle water before draining.
05
Loosen each bowl of sauce with 60 ml hot noodle water. Add the drained noodles and toss until every strand is coated.
06
Top with the pork mixture, scallions, and crushed peanuts. Serve immediately without letting the noodles sit.

Practical notes

Tips

Keep the sauce fairly loose before the noodles arrive; noodles absorb liquid quickly.
Taste the sauce at the table and adjust vinegar or chile oil individually.

Common mistakes

Overcooking the noodles makes them absorb the sauce and turn heavy; drain at a springy texture.
A dry pork topping tastes flat; keep the 15 ml oil and add the preserved greens only after browning.

Substitutions

Use minced mushrooms or crumbled firm tofu instead of pork; sauté until the mixture is dry before seasoning.
Tahini can replace Chinese sesame paste; add 5 ml water if it is especially thick.

Storage

Keep sauce and noodles separate in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat the pork once and boil fresh noodles for the best texture.

Cultural context

Dan dan noodles began as a portable street-vendor food in Sichuan; the carrying pole traditionally held noodles at one end and the sauce ingredients at the other.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.