China · Beijing
Noodles with Fried Bean Sauce
Hand-chopped pork simmered with doubanjiang and sweet bean paste into a dark, glossy sauce, tossed with noodles and shredded vegetables.
Zha jiang mian is Beijing food with a northern Chinese signature, built on fried sauce rather than broth and on julienned vegetables that cool the bowl down. The sauce is fried slowly until it thickens and the oil separates slightly from the paste, which is the point at which it is ready. Washing the cooked noodles in cold water is an old habit; it stops them from absorbing sauce and keeps the bite firm.
Ingredients
- diced pork or ground pork150 g
- scallions15 g
- shredded vegetable toppings, total35 g
- cooking oil10 g
- doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste)20 g
- sweet bean paste20 g
Directions
- 1
Julienne the vegetables and set them aside.
- 2
Chop the scallions, heat the oil and add the scallions and pork, frying until the pork is fully cooked with no pink left.
- 3
Add the doubanjiang and sweet bean paste and keep frying until the sauce is slightly thick. Remove it; this is the fried sauce.
- 4
Take a large bowl and add cold water, ready to use.
- 5
Boil the noodles until just cooked with no white core, then move them into the bowl of cold water from step four.
- 6
Lift them out at once, drain well and put them in a clean bowl.
- 7
Add the fried sauce from step three and toss. Then add the shredded vegetables from step one and toss again.
Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.