Spice up Your Meat Free Monday with These Vegetarian Dan Dan Noodles

Along with kungpao chicken, mapo tofu, and laziji, dan dan noodles are one of the classic dishes of the Sichuan culinary canon. The name comes from the traditional carrying pole (担担 dàndàn) that was used by walking street vendors selling the dish. The pole was carried over the shoulder, with two baskets containing noodles and sauce attached at either end. Although you may associate this dish with street food, it is actually easy to do and makes an impressive side dish for a homecooked Chinese meal.

It also happens to be pretty easy to make this dish vegetarian, replacing the usual pork (or beef) with finely chopped mushrooms – perfect for a meat-free Monday. If you have your doubts, note that I served this to a hardened carnivore and he could barely tell it didn't have meat in it.  

Like our other favorite Sichuan dish, dry-fried green beans, dan dan noodles get some of their intense flavor from chopped pickled vegetables. For this vegetarian version, the other secret to packing in flavor is to make sure the chopped mushrooms are thoroughly browned when you fry them in the first step of the recipe. 

Vegetarian Dan Dan Noodles (担担面)
Adapted from Serious Eats
Serves 2

  • 150g white button mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 tsp light soy sauce (生抽 shēng chōu)
  • 2 tsp Chinkiang vinegar (镇江香醋 zhènjiāng xiāng cù)
  • 1 tbsp sesame paste (芝麻酱 zhīmajiàng)
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp roasted chili oil (油炸辣子 yóu zhá làzǐ
  • 1 tbsp chili broad bean paste (豆瓣酱 dòubàn jiàng)
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped preserved Sichuan mustard vegetable (碎米芽菜 suì mǐ yá cài)
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (蒜 suàn)
  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (绍兴料酒 Shàoxīng liàojiǔ)
  • 250g fresh noodles
  • Chopped spring onions and chopped roasted peanuts, to garnish

Place mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor and process until no pieces larger than 1/2-inch remain, about 6 short pulses. Alternatively, chop them by hand until finely chopped. Transfer to a small saucepan.

Add vegetable oil and stir to combine. Place over a high heat and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Strain and set aside, reserving 1 tbsp of the leftover oil.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame paste, sugar, chili oil (with its sediment), and chili-broad bean paste. 

Heat the reserved mushroom oil in a wok over high heat and add the chopped Sichuan vegetables, fried mushrooms, and garlic. Cook until fragrant for about 1 minute. Add Shaoxing wine and stir to combine. Add the sauce and remove from the heat.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the noodles. Cook until al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain, reserving about 150ml of cooking liquid and stir it into the sauce.

Divide the noodles between two bowls and pour the sauce on top. Garnish with scallions and peanuts. Stir well before eating. 

Notes:

  • Play around with the quantity of chili sauce – the spice level will vary by brand. You can always add more to the finished dish. 
  • If you want to serve this with green vegetables such as bok choy, as I did, blanch the vegetables very briefly in the same water you are going to cook the noodles in, then lift out with a strainer. 

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Photos: Robynne Tindall