Dan dan noodles started out as a street food in Sichuan. In its earliest form, it was carried by hawkers on a bamboo pole (dan), from which the name of dish is derived. The pole was attached to two basket, one holding the ingredients, the other holding the cookware.
It is part of the collective memory of the people of Sichuan, a comfort food that eases their homesickness while being away. Even celebrated writers from Sichuan like Ba Jin and Guo Moruo sought out dan dan noodles the moment they returned to their hometown.
Legend has it that the creator of dan dan noodles was named Chen Baobao. In 1841, he walked from his native village to the town of Zigong. Looking at the many hawkers selling cooked food by the roadside, he decided to sell the noodles he was good at making, carrying everything he needed with a pole on his shoulder. The handmade noodles, which were springy and smooth, were paired with bean sprouts from Sichuan and a rich, tasty soup. The dan dan noodles soon won the hearts and palates of the whole town, which led to Chen opening his own shop.
Another common approach is to eat the noodles “dry”, which means they are complemented by a sauce instead of a broth: the cooked noodles are first shaken to remove all the excess liquid, and then mixed with soya sauce, vinegar and chili oil. The spicy flavor is one of the defining features of Chengdu dan dan noodles.
This recipe contains four parts:
- homemade dan dan noodles – of course, you may use rice or egg noodles to save time
- Chinese five spice blend, made from scratch
- minced pork topping
- noodle sauce, vegetables, and putting it all together!
Let’s begin!
Part One – The Homemade Noodles
- 2/3 cup of flour
- 1/4 cup of warm water
- 1/4 tsp of salt
Mix together the dry ingredients, flour and salt, together in a medium bowl. Then, add in the water and kneed for 15 minutes. Once done, place the mixture in a plastic bag and let it rest for 30 minutes. Next, you will want to bring a large pot of water to boil. While the water boils, whip out your pasta machine and roll out the dough to the 4 setting, then cut the noodles. You can also roll the dough out by hand and cut them with a knife. The noodles will only need to cook for 3 minutes or until firm. Lastly, drain your noodles and get ready to serve! You may also let it chill and reheat in boiling water later.
Part Two – Chinese Five Spice
- 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 5-6 whole star anise
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tbsp ground Chinese cinnamon
- 1 tbsp ground fennel seeds
Five-spice powder is a complex seasoning blend. It has a distinct licorice-like flavor due to star anise, with sweet and warm flavors from the cinnamon and fennel. Cloves add a cooling sensation, while the Szechuan peppercorns add a numbing and peppery note. The exact origin of five-spice powder is unknown. However, its invention may be related to the medical field. It could go back to the fourth century BCE.
To grind these whole spices, you will want to use a small spice grinder or a coffee bean grinder will work just as well – but make sure it is intended solely for spices, you definitely do not want any coffee residue getting in the way of this flavorful blend. Grinding your own whole spices will help give your seasoning blends the most flavor at its freshest.
Part Three – Minced Meat Topping
- 1/8 lbs of ground pork
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp rice wine
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp peanut oil
- 1 tsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp fresh Chinese five spice powder
Start by marinating the pork with the sugar, corn starch, wine, and soy sauce for 15 minutes. While the pork marinates, mix together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and the five spice blend in a small bow. Set that aside. In a skillet, heat one teaspoon of peanut oil and sear the pork until brown on both sides. Next, add in your sauce mixture and heat to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the sugar form burning, or until the sauce is reduced to a thick glaze on the meat. Set aside and keep warm just before serving.
Part Four – The Finisher – Sauce, Vegetables, and Assemble!
- 1 baby bok choy
- ¼ onion – large diced
- 1 clove garlic – diced
- 1 tsp peanut oil
- 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice wine
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- ¼ tsp sesame oil
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1/16 tsp white pepper
- ¾ tsp spicy chili bean paste
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- Pinch of ground Szechuan peppercorns
- Garnish – peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, or sliced green onions
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the bok choy and cook until tender. You will want to drain and chill to prevent the bok choy from overcooking*. Cut the bok choy in half, set aside and reheat in the microwave just before serving. Next, cook the onion in oil until they are translucent. Add the garlic in the oil and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally to prevent from burning. Toss in the rest of the ingredients and cook for 5 minutes or until a thick sauce forms. Lastly, add half of the cooked noodles, stir to coat and heat for 1 minute. To serve, place the uncoated half of noodles at the bottom of your bowl, layer it with the sauced noodles and top it with the warmed minced pork and bok choy. You may add toasted sesame, peanuts, or sliced green onions as a garnish.
*Save the water after draining the bok choy to reheat the noodles.
Homemade Dan Dan Noodles
Equipment
- Pasta maker machine on the 4 setting
Ingredients
For the Homemade Noodles
- ⅔ cup flour
- ¼ cup warm water
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Chinese Five Spice
- 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorn
- 5-6 whole star anise
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tbsp ground Chinese cinnamon
- 1 tbsp ground fennel seeds
For the Minced Pork Topping
- ⅛ lbs Ground Pork
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp rice wine
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp peanut oil
- 1 tsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- ½ tsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp fresh Chinese Five Spice Powder
For the Sauce and Vegetables
- 1 baby bok choy
- ¼ large onion diced
- 1 clove of garlic diced
- 1 tsp peanut oil
- 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice wine
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- ¼ tsp sesame oil
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1/16 tsp white pepper
- ¾ tsp spicy chili bean paste
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 pinch of ground Szechuan peppercorns
- peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, or sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- You may use store bought rice or egg noodles and cook to the instructions on the package.To make fresh noodles mix together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add in the warm water and kneed for 15 minutes. Place the mixture in a plastic bag and let rest for 30 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to boil. In the meantime, roll out the dough using the pasta machine on the 4 setting and then cut the noodles. Cook the noodles for 3 minutes or until firm. Drain and let chill to prevent over cooking. Reheat later.
- For the Chinese five spice blend, mix the whole spices with a spice grinder or a coffee grinder you specifically use for spices.
- Marinate the pork with the sugar, corn starch, wine, and soy sauce for 15 minutes. Mix together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and the Chinese five spice blend in a small bowl. Set aside. Next, heat one teaspoon of peanut oil and sear the pork until brown on both sides. Add in the sauce mixture and heat to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the sugar from burning, or until the sauce is reduced to a thick glaze on the meat. Set aside and keep warm just before serving.
- For the sauce and vegetables, bring a pot of water to a boil and add in the bok choy. Cook until tender, drain and chill to prevent overcooking.* Cut the boy choy in half, set aside and reheat in the microwave just before serving. Next, cook the onion in oil until they are translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Toss in the rest of the ingredients (peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine, rice vinegar, chicken broth, white pepper, spicy chili bean paste, brown sugar, and the Szechuan peppercorns) and cook for 5 minutes or until a thick sauce forms. Lastly, add in half of the cooked noodles, stir to coat, and cook for an additional minute.
- To serve, place the uncoated half of noodles at the bottom of your bowl, layer it with the sauced noodles and top it with the warmed minced pork and bok choy. You may add toasted sesame, peanuts, or sliced green onions as a garnish.