Emma Chung’s dan dan noodles recipe

“If you’re walking through the streets of Chengdu, you’ll see countless noodle shops selling dan dan noodles – a mixed noodle served at room temperature, topped with minced pork and a spicy nutty sauce,” says Emma Chung.

“My version is vegan and I use mushrooms instead. I’ve given you an option to use fresh mushrooms or rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms. The two give slightly different results. You can also use a mixture of both, if you prefer.”

Dan dan noodles

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
(Serves 2)

2tsp neutral cooking oil
200g fresh mushrooms (any variety), finely chopped (or 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated)
2 spring onions, finely chopped (white and green parts separated)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1tsp light soy sauce
Pinch of ground white pepper
2tbsp water (or mushroom soaking liquid)
Pinch of salt
2 servings of thin wheat noodles
½tsp crushed or ground Sichuan peppercorns (optional but recommended)

For the sauce:
2tbsp Chinese sesame paste or peanut butter
2tsp light soy sauce
2tsp sesame oil
2tbsp black rice vinegar
2–3tsp chilli oil, or more to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
½tsp sugar

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for 4–6 minutes until cooked. Add the spring onion whites, garlic, rice wine, light soy sauce, white pepper, water and a pinch of salt. Mix and taste to adjust the seasonings. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the sauce.

3. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the packet instructions. Towards the end of cooking, add around 80ml of the noodle cooking water to the sauce and mix. For a thinner sauce, add more noodle cooking water. Drain the noodles, then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

4. Divide the noodles between serving bowls. Evenly pour over the sauce and top with the mushrooms, spring onion greens and the crushed Sichuan peppercorns.

5. Drizzle with more chilli oil, to taste, and serve. Make sure to give the noodles a good mix in the sauce before digging in.

Easy Chinese Food Anyone Can Make by Emma Chung is published in hardback by Ebury Press, priced £22. Photography by Ola O.Smit. Available July 24.