Chengdu Mixed Sauce Noodles

Chengdu Zajiang Mian (成都杂酱面)

Sichuan minced meat sauce rests atop a bed of noodles alongside pickled Chinese long beans and underneath it all lies a hidden layer of sweet, savory, and spicy sauce.

Mixed Sauce Noodles are one of the most popular Tossed Noodle Dishes (拌面) in Chengdu – possibly even more so than its better-known counterpart, Dan Dan Noodles (担担面). The two noodle dishes are actually quite similar, but what truly sets these Noodles apart is its Mixed Sauce (杂酱). Mixed Sauce is a flavorful Meat Sauce (肉酱) made by stir-frying minced pork belly with Sweet Bean Paste (甜面酱) and spicy Chili Bean Paste (豆瓣酱). It’s salty and umami with a hint of sweet and spicy. While Dan Dan Noodles can use Mixed Sauce as a topping, it normally features a much simpler Minced Pork Sauce (臊子).

Often paired with the Mixed Sauce atop these Noodles are pieces of Pickled Yardlong Beans (泡豇豆), also known as Chinese Long Beans. These pickles are quite sour, but that sourness mellows and mixes beautifully with the sweet, umami of the Meat Sauce. The Yardlong Beans also offer a delightfully contrasting texture among the soft noodles and crispy bits of saucy meat. If unable to find jars of the pickled beans, you can easily make your own by adding them to a Sichuan pickle jar. The Yardlong Beans will usually ferment within one to two days after being added to the jar. Other Pickled Beans, such as Green Beans could be used – just remember to remove the string before pickling them.

Mixed Sauce Noodles, as already mentioned, are a Tossed Noodle Dish from Chengdu. So, unsurprisingly, the Sauces and Seasonings are similar to that of other Chengdu Noodle Dishes like Dan Dan Noodles. The ingredients are all quite easy to source in China, but if you’re unable to find Red Soy Sauce (复制酱油) in other countries, there are plenty of options. Obviously, the best option is to make the Sauce yourself. But if you don’t have the time, you can replace the sticky-sweet sauce with Aromatic Soy Sauce and slightly increase the amount of sugar. Alternatively, you can use regular Soy Sauce, increase the amount of sugar, and add a pinch of Chinese Five Spice. A tablespoon of sliced green stalks of Small Scallion (小葱) can be added atop the Sauces and Seasonings as another way to customize the dish; however, Scallion isn’t a necessary component to Mixed Sauce Noodles as it is with other Tossed Noodle Dishes.

Prep Time: 5 min.

Cook Time: 5 min.

Total Time: 10 min.

Serving: 2 people

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. Mixed Sauce (杂酱; Per Bowl)

4 Tbsp. Pickled Yardlong Beans (泡豇豆; Amount when cut into 1/2-inch pieces; Per Bowl)

Sauces and Seasonings (Per Bowl)
2 Tbsp. Chili Oil with Chili Flakes
1 Tbsp. Red Soy Sauce (复制酱油)
1 Tbsp. Garlic Slurry
1/2 Tbsp. Sesame Paste
1/2 tsp. White Sugar
1/2 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder
1/2 tsp. MSG
1/2 tsp. Ground Sichuan Pepper

1 Tbsp. slightly crushed Peanuts

200 grams Fresh Alkaline Noodles (Per Bowl)

Directions

1.) Heat the Mixed Sauce in a small sauce pot and keep it warm while preparing the other ingredients.

2.) Cut the pickled Yardlong Beans into 1/2-inch-long pieces if not already cut. Set these aside in a bowl to use as a topping.

3.) Add and mix all of the Sauces and Seasonings (Chili Oil, Red Soy Sauce, Garlic Slurry, Sesame Paste, Sugar, Chicken Bouillon, MSG, and Sichuan Pepper) together in each noodle bowl.

4.) Crush the Peanuts and add them on top of the Sauces and Seasonings in the bottom of each noodle bowl or save them to be sprinkled over the finished Noodles as a garnish.

5.) Bring a pot of water to a boil and fully cook the Noodles, one serving at a time. Drain the Noodles and immediately plunge them into a bowl of cold water. Once cool, drain the Noodles, shake off any excess water, and add the Noodles to the serving bowl on top of the Sauces and Seasonings. Repeat with the other serving of Noodles.

6.) Top half of each serving of Noodles with the Mixed Sauce and then top the other half of each serving with the Pickled Yardlong Beans. Serve the delicious Mixed Sauce Noodles and simply mix everything together before eating.

 

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