recipes (video)| ZHA JIANG MIAN | 炸酱面

ZHA JIANG MIAN (Beijing Fried Sauce Noodles) | 炸酱面

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 40 min
Recipe adapted from: The Woks of Life
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 4

Leveling up!

I wanted to keep the trend of simple dishes but also learn how to make those famous Chinese noodles dishes that you might crave frequently. So, I decided on…*drum roll*… Zha Jiang Mian! Although it takes a little more time than the previous recipes, it’s still easy enough…again, if I can make it, so can you. And this time, I made the video above to show you the process! (hopefully the next one will be better than this attempt…)

Zha Jiang Mian is a signature Beijing dish that has become a staple noodle at many restaurants across the country. You may have seen or tried the Korean version Jajangmyeon which is a variation on the Chinese one which uses black bean sauce instead of yellow soybean paste. Both are delish cause who doesn’t like saucy noodles?

But back to Zha Jiang Mian, it’s translated to Fried Sauce Noodles and that’s basically what it is. Although there are other variations within China, the Beijing style is the traditional dish and it’s made up of a thick simmered sauce with pork and a base of yellow soybean paste and sweet bean paste. The rich sauce is both salty and sweet and topped off with piles of crunchy veggies, which is totally satisfying when you’re both starving or just want a snack (strands are snacks in my book). Apparently, the dish used to be for poor people because the thick sauce is cheap to make but tasty and filling. Now, it’s eaten and loved by all. Shall we get started?

Here’s what you need:

200 grams Diced pork belly or ground pork (you can use firm tofu for a vegetarian version)
1 tsp Corn starch
1 tsp White pepper
½ tbsp Cooking oil (I like to use sesame oil – gives it a nice nutty taste)
1 tbsp Rice vinegar
3 tbsp Yellow soybean paste (黄豆酱)
2 tbsp Sweet bean paste (甜面酱) (you can substitute hoisin sauce as well)
1 cup Water
2 tbsp Cooking oil (I’d use sesame oil again here)
2 Star anise
½ cup Scallions (julienned) – separate the white + green parts
1 inch stalk Ginger (minced)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 Carrot (julienned)
1 cucumber (julienned)
400 grams Noodles (dried or fresh) – I would recommend a slightly thicker noodle ; the sauce will go well with a chewy texture

Prep all the produce ingredients. The carrots and cucumbers should be julienned (the thinner, the better). If you don’t know how to julienne, check this tutorial video out. It’ll come in handy in the future as well!

Dice the pork belly (or firm tofu) into small cubes (unless using ground pork) and marinate with 1 tsp of cooking oil, corn starch and white pepper for about 15 minutes.

Combine yellow soybean paste and sweet bean paste into a bowl with water and set aside.

(Sorry forgot to take photos of these steps!)

Heat up 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok or frying pan on medium – high heat. Add the star anise, minced ginger and garlic and stir. Then toss in the white portion of scallions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Stir in the marinated pork and rice vinegar and sauté for about 2-3 minutes (until the pork is no longer pink).

Then pour in the sauce mixture with the pork and stir. Lower the heat and cover the pan. Let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes while stirring occasionally to prevent from sticking.

*Do a quick taste test and if the sauce is too salty add a little more water or a pinch of sugar. This will help offset the saltiness as some brands of yellow soybean paste can be saltier than others.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the noodles according to the package directions. Toss a little cooking oil into the pot so the noodles don’t stick together. I had this problem the first time…

Portion out noodles into bowls and pour the thickened pork sauce mixture over the noodles. Top with the carrots, cucumbers and green scallions. You can also include other toppings such as sliced radishes, pickles (obviously not for me) or edamame.

Toss everything together and make sure all those strands are covered in the delicious sauce. There you have it, Zha Jiang Mian! Enjoy!

Have a (relatively easy) noodle dish you’d like me to try out? Message below in the comments!

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 40 min
Recipe adapted from: The Woks of Life
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

200 grams Diced pork belly or ground pork (you can use firm tofu for a vegetarian version)
1 tsp Corn starch
1 tsp White pepper
½ tbsp Cooking oil (I like to use sesame oil – gives it a nice nutty taste)
1 tbsp Rice vinegar
3 tbsp Yellow soybean paste (黄豆酱)
2 tbsp Sweet bean paste (甜面酱) (you can substitute hoisin sauce as well)
1 cup Water
2 tbsp Cooking oil (I’d use sesame oil again here)
2 Star anise
½ cup Scallions (julienned) – separate the white + green parts
1 inch stalk Ginger (minced)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 Carrot (julienned)
1 cucumber (julienned)
400 grams Noodles (dried or fresh) – I would recommend a slightly thicker noodle ; the sauce will go well with a chewy texture

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prep topping ingredients: julienne carrot and cucumbers, chop scallions.
Dice pork belly or firm tofu into small cubes (unless using ground pork) and marinate in 1/2 tsp cooking oil, corn starch and white pepper for 15 minutes.
Combine yellow soybean paste and sweet bean paste into a bowl with water.
Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok or frying pan on medium – high heat. Add star anise, minced ginger and garlic and stir. Toss in the white portion of scallions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the marinated pork and rice vinegar and sauté for about 2-3 minutes (until the pork is no longer pink).
Pour in the sauce mixture with the pork and stir. Lower the heat and cover the pan. Let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes while stirring occasionally to prevent from sticking. *Do a quick taste test and if the sauce is too salty add a little more water or a pinch of sugar. This will help offset the saltiness as some brands of yellow soybean paste can be saltier than others.
Portion out noodles into bowls and pour the thickened pork sauce mixture over the noodles. Top with the carrots, cucumbers and green scallions. You can also include other toppings such as sliced radishes, pickles or edamame.
Toss everything together and enjoy!