DanDan Mian (担担面) is one of the signature dishes of Sichuanese street food and has become popular all over China. Dandan refers to the pole that street vendors carry over their shoulder, which used to carry two containers, one containing noodles, the other sauce. It used to be a poor people’s dish and nowadays there’s a multitude of different versions out there.

This recipe presents you with the most basic version and lists everything that the majority of dandan mian dishes contain. I like mine with some added fresh greens such as pak choi or spinach for example.

This recipe takes roughly 30min and serves 4.

Ingredients

• 200g minced pork
• 2 tbsp sesame paste (tahini)
• 50g preserved vegetables (杂菜/yacai), finely chopped
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 200ml chicken broth
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp chilli oil
• 2 tbsp ginger
• 1 tbsp Sichuan pepper
• 400g Chinese wheat noodles

Utensils

• Wok
• Pestle & mortar/ spice blender etc.
• Sieve
• Spatula

Instructions

• Roast the Sichuan pepper in a wok until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and grind. Mix the mince with preserved vegetables and 2 tbsp of soy sauce and set aside for a moment. Add oil to a wok and heat until it begins to smoke. Add the mince and stir fry until very crisp. Transfer the mince to a sieve and let drain.
• Stir fry garlic, ginger and spring onions for 30 seconds. Add broth, sesame paste, soy sauce and chilli oil and let simmer for 2 minutes.
• Cook the noodles in boiling water according to given instructions. Once cooked, divide between four bowls, add sauce, top with mince and sprinkle over with Sichuan pepper.
• Enjoy!