Spicy Cold Sichuan Noodles
When I visited China, I got to enjoy a multitude of regional cuisines and the one that stood out was Sichuan food. One particular dish at a Sichuan restaurant blew my mind – liang mian, cold noodles. The piles of noodles and shredded chicken sat on top of a river of chili oil. There was so much oil! At first I was a little bit weary of the amount of oil, but soon fell in love with the spicy/salty/sour flavor. I just had to recreate it at home, but with less oil! You can omit the chicken to make it a vegetarian dish. You may also use vegetable oil instead of peanut but peanut oil adds a nice nutty fragrance to the dish. This dish is spicy so enjoy with a cool glass of water or ice-cold beer!
Spicy Cold Sichuan Noodles
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 large cucumbers peeled, shred into long strips or julienned (discard the core)
- 225 g egg noodles* 8 oz
- 2 Tablespoons ground peanuts
- A handful of cilantro roughly chopped (optional)
Chili Oil:
- 5 Tablespoons peanut oil
- 2 Tablespoons dried chili flakes
- ½ Tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1.5 Tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
- ½ Tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 large garlic cloves peeled and finely minced
- ½ Tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a medium pot and fill it with water until the breasts are covered. Partly cover the pot, bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes and then turn the heat off completely. Let the chicken remain in the pot for another 15 to 20 minutes. Take out the breasts and set aside to cool down. Shred them with two forks.
- Bring the same pot of water used to poach the chicken breasts to a boil and cook the noodles per the packet instructions. Drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water, set aside.
Chili Oil:
- Heat up the oil in a small pan over high heat. When it’s very hot, turn off the heat and add the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Let them steep for about 5 minutes and then filter the oil with a strainer. Discard the residue and keep the oil for the sauce.
- Whisk the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic, and chili oil together in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, mix the noodles and shredded chicken with the spicy sauce. Divide into smaller bowls or plates, and top each portion with cucumber, crushed peanuts and cilantro.
Notes
*If you prefer springy noodles, you can use fresh Hong Kong noodles. If you’re having problems finding fresh noodles, you can also use instant ramen noodles. They worked out surprisingly well!
Recipe adapted from Rasa Malaysia.