sichuanese cold noodles, known as liang mian, are zingy, fiery and packed with flave! they should really be called BIG FLAVOUR NOODLES as the sesame chili dressing leaves a party in your mouth after every bite.
i personally like to eat these noodles warm or at room temp, but if it’s a particularly hot day, you can refrigerate them for 20 minutes before consuming for a refreshingly punchy treat.
you can be pretty flexible with the additions in terms of vegetables and proteins, as the sesame chili dressing will enhance the flavour of just about anything.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
4 tsps. baking soda
2 L water
454 g / 1 lb. gf egg noodles or any king soba noodle would work great
sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsps. neutral cooking oil, like canola or grapeseed
1-inch knob ginger, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsps. doubanjiang (chili bean paste) *sub with gochujang and omit brown sugar from above (you could also sub with 1 tbsp. miso paste + 1/2 tbsp. chili paste, like sambal oelek)
1 1/2 tbsps. shaoxing wine or sake
1 1/2 tbsps. chinese black vinegar *sub with balsamic
3 tbsps. tahini, black sesame paste, or thin peanut butter
3 tbsps. chili crisp or chili oil, adjust to taste
3 tbsps. sesame oil
1/4 cup gf tamari
1/3 cup water
cilantro and/or scallions, chopped, to garnish
sesame seeds, to garnish
fried garlic and/or shallots, to garnish
cracked sichuan peppercorn (optional)
Optional Additions
julienned carrots
julienned cucumber
grilled steak or marinated tofu
blanched choy, like yu choy or bok choy
chopped peanuts
Instructions
Prep ingredients under ‘optional additions’. Set aside.
In a stockpot, dissolve 4 tsps. of baking soda in 2 L of water and bring to a boil. Maintain heat at a medium-high. Be sure to watch the pot carefully as the baking soda can cause the water to boil over easily. Cook noodles according to package or recipe instructions, and strain (under cold water if you want to eat them cold). Drizzle noodles with a bit of sesame oil to keep them from sticking. Transfer noodles into a large mixing bowl.
Heat oil in a skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic and sauté until aromatic, about 15 seconds.
Turn the heat down to a medium-low and add ingredients from brown sugar to water, stirring until well-combined.
Pour mixture over noodles in batches, tasting as you go. Toss to combine and stop when it is flavoured to your liking. Reserve any remaining dressing for salads or marinades.
Garnish with chopped herbs, sesame seeds, and fried garlic/shallots. For a numbing hot sensation, add a few cracks of sichuan peppercorn. Top with any additional prepped ingredients. Dig in and devour!