Tingly, Numbing Spicy Dan Dan Noodle Recipe
Don’t be intimidated by the title of the recipe: Yes, it is spicy. But I swear that’s what makes this recipe a keeper!
Dan Dan noodles take on many different forms from slightly sweet-and-sour to toasty-salty to spicy. I think I’ve hit the nail on the head with this combo: a bit of brown sugar, dark soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and hot chili sauce. One of the great things about this recipe is how versatile these ingredients can be. For some Asian dishes, you buy one bottle of fish sauce, for example, and it just sits there in the pantry for months (if not years! Been there done that). But here, you can use soy sauce for tea eggs and sushi, sesame oil for soups and tofu, chili sauce for scrambled eggs and wraps…
Below is a vegetarian version of the recipe using diced extra firm tofu. Feel free to add (or sub in) ground meat or nix the protein entirely.
Makes 4 bowls
Ingredients
- 8 oz extra firm tofu, diced (or 8 oz ground meat)
- 12 oz noodles
Sauce ingredients
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce (find at your Asian grocery store!)
- 6 tbsp dark soy sauce (light works well too)
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- Brown sugar (or honey or agave) to taste
- 1/4 cup chili oil (looks like a lot, but’s for 4 servings!)
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Reserved pasta water
Optional Garnishes
- Bok choi (or leafy greens)
- Scallions, chopped
- Peanuts, chopped
- Sesame seeds
Directions
- Gently saute the tofu (or ground meat) with olive oil over medium heat. Make sure to flip or turn to get all the crispy sides
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl except the pasta water. Taste it- if it’s super salty and spicy, you’re in good shape!
- In a pot of boiling water, add the leafy greens until just cooked and vibrant green. Remove from pot
- In the same water, add the noodles and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions
- In a big bowl, spoon the sauce in first. Layer in the noodles, vegetables, and top with protein. Garnish with chopped peanuts and scallions and sesame seeds
- Enjoy!!
Comments (9)
What type of noodles do you like to use? Looks delicious!
These are just spaghetti noodles!
DeCecco No 12 spaghetti noodles are my go to – I know it’s not authentic but keeping it real for weeknight cooking.
My mom used to put peanut butter in this for a creamy sauce!
So yummy. Just made this tonight and it was delicious. Hubby loved it, toddler loved it, I loved it. Thanks Emma!
Just made these noodles. Fantastic. I will definitely make again
Emma was not kidding with how spicy this is, but it was so good! My husband and I enjoyed this very much, and will definitely make this again soon. Thank you for this recipe!
This looks amazing!
When you say “noodles,” is there a specific type of noodle for this? The noodles look like spaghetti to me. Is that the type of noodle?