← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 400 g fresh wheat noodles (or 250 g dried)
• 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
• 3 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (or tahini)
• 3 tbsp warm water
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp chilli oil with sediment
• 3 cloves Garlic, grated
• ¼ tsp ground Sichuan pepper
• 1 Cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 100 g Bean sprouts (optional)
• 2 Spring onion, sliced
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed (optional)

Method

1. Cook the noodles in boiling water for 1 minute less than the packet says. Drain, rinse under cold running water until completely cool, drain well and toss with the sesame oil.
2. If using bean sprouts, blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds and cool under the tap.
3. Put the sesame paste in a bowl and whisk in the warm water a spoonful at a time until smooth and pourable. Whisk in the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chilli oil, garlic and Sichuan pepper.
4. Divide the noodles between bowls, top with cucumber and bean sprouts, and spoon over the sauce.
5. Scatter with spring onion and peanuts and toss well before eating.

Tips

• Contains sesame; the optional peanuts add a nut allergen too.
• Add shredded cooked chicken to turn it into a filling lunch.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Omnivore's Cookbook Tiffy Cooks