Zha Jiang Mian 炸醬麵 Noodles With Chinese Mince Sauce

Zha jiang mien (炸醬麵) meaning 'fried sauce noodle' in mandarin is a popular everyday noodle dish from Northern China. Chinese migrants brought them to Japan and Korean at the turn of the last century and you'll be able to get versions very different from the original one despite the name continues being used - for the Korean version jajangmyeun click here. This Chinese spaghetti Bolognese as one of my friend once described it, is the ultimate comfort food for me; the meaty sauce that is hot, salty and slightly sweet with the tingling sensation of added Sichuan peppercorn is something I can never get enough of. Make some jiaozi  to go with this and you'll have a very satisfying meal time and time again.

serves 4 generously

for the sauce you'll need;

1 kg of mince pork (rump), brown lightly (optional)

3 tbs of hot bean paste

2 tbs of sweet bean paste

4 tbs of light soy

2 tbs of dark soy

4 shallots, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

knob of ginger, minced

1 tsp of Sichuan pepper, toasted and crushed

1 cup of water

you'll also need;

2 packets of shanghai noodles 

3 lebanese cucumbers, removed seeds and sliced

300g of bean sprouts, blanched and refreshed

300g of spinach leaves, blanched and refresh

Fry shallots, garlic and ginger til fragrant, add in the minced pork and mix well.

Add seasonings and mix well.

Add water and simmer for 45 minutes; a film of red oil should appear by now, check for seasonings.

Cook noodles according to instructions on the packaging and drain well. Ladle some sauce over, add toppings and mix well.

I prefer to add extra chili oil and a drizzle of Chinese black vinegar.