Beijing Noodles Zha Jiang Mian Recipes

ZHA JIANG MIAN (炸酱面)

Steps:

• In a bowl, dilute dry yellow soybean paste and sweet bean sauce (or hoisin sauce) with water. Set aside.
• Heat up oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add star anise, spring onion (the green part) and ginger. Leave to sizzle until fragrant. Stir in pork and rice wine. Cook until the pork becomes pale.
• Pour in the diluted sauce. Bring it to a boil then leave to simmer for 20 minutes.
• Then boil on full heat to thicken the sauce to the desired consistency. Stir in the white part of the scallions.
• Blanch beansprouts and green soybeans in boiling water (cucumber and radish are served raw). Take them out then drain.
• In the same pot, cook noodles. Drain and rinse under cold water for a few seconds.
• Place the noodles in 4 serving bowls. Top with the sauce and vegetables.

BEIJING "FRIED SAUCE" NOODLES - ZHA JIANG MIAN

Steps:

• Marinate the pork with the following for 15 minutes: ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon white pepper.
• Heat a tablespoon oil in your wok over medium heat and add the pork fat (if using). Cook for 1 minute to render the fat down, and add the marinated ground pork to the wok. Cook for a minute to brown it, and then add the ginger, garlic, and mushrooms. Stir fry everything together for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add the sweet bean sauce, ground bean sauce, dark soy sauce, and water, stirring everything together well. Lower the heat and cover the wok. Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
• While that's happening, cook the noodles according to the package directions. Mix with the sauce and toss with the julienned carrots, cucumbers, and scallions. This amount of sauce should be good for 4 servings.

BEIJING NOODLES { ZHA JIANG MIAN }

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the minced pork with ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp oil and white pepper and let the meat marinate for about 15 minutes at room temperature.
• Peel the garlic and slice thinly. Mince the ginger and cut mushrooms and spring onions into thin slices. Mushrooms, ginger, and garlic can be put into a little bowl, the spring onions go into a separate bowl. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan on medium-high heat and add meat. Fry for about a minute, stirring once in a while, then add garlic, mushrooms, and ginger. Fry for about 4 minutes more.
• Add bean sauce, bean paste, soy sauce as well as 250 ml of water and 1/2 tbsp of sugar, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Put the lid on and simmer for about 15 minutes on low heat.
• While the sauce is reducing, bring 1 l of water to a boil and cook the noodles until just al dente. Drain and toss with the sauce in the pan.
• Grate cucumber and carrot and mix with the noodles. Add the spring onions and give everything a final toss. Serve immediately and enjoy.

BEIJING-STYLE MEAT SAUCE & NOODLES (ZHA JIANG MIAN)

Steps:

• Toss pork, 2 teaspoons water and baking soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk 1/2 cup water, miso paste, soy sauce, hoisin and molasses together in second bowl.
• Pulse white and light green scallion parts, garlic and ginger in food processor until coarsely chopped, 5 to 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add mushrooms and pulse until mixture is finely chopped, 5 to 10 pulses.
• Heat oil and pork mixture in large saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute, breaking up meat with wooden spoon. Add mushroom mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is dry and just begins to stick to saucepan, 5 to 7 minutes. Add miso mixture to saucepan and bring to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm while noodles cook.
• Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until almost tender (center should still be firm with slightly opaque dot), 3 to 5 minutes. Drain noodles and transfer to wide, shallow serving bowl.
• Ladle sauce over center of noodles and sprinkle with cucumber, sprouts and dark green scallion parts. Toss well and serve.