Chinese
VeganRe gan mian (Wuhan hot dry noodles)
热干面 · Wuhan's breakfast noodles tossed in sesame paste with pickled radish and chilli oil
In Wuhan, Hubei, the day starts with re gan mian, 'hot dry noodles', eaten standing up or walking to work: springy alkaline noodles, pre-boiled and oiled the night before, are dunked in boiling water for a few seconds and tossed with a thick sesame paste, soy, pickled radish, spring onion and chilli oil. There is no broth; it is rich, nutty, salty and very satisfying. The common mistake is not loosening the sesame paste enough, so it clumps on the noodles instead of coating them; thin it slowly with sesame oil until it falls from the spoon like a ribbon. This version is vegan, made with pickled mustard tuber instead of the dried shrimp some stalls add. Chef's tip: boiling and oiling the noodles ahead and letting them cool spread out is what gives the chewy, slightly dry texture Wuhan people love.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 2
- Per serving
- 560 kcal
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz fresh alkaline wheat noodlesor dried ramen-style noodles, 200 g
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oilfor tossing the noodles
For the sesame sauce
- 3 tbsp Chinese sesame pastestirred well in the jar
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp Chinese black vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt
To finish
- 1 ⅜ oz pickled mustard tuber (zha cai) or pickled radishfinely diced
- 2 spring onionsfinely sliced
- 1 tbsp chilli oil (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 3 tbsp Chinese sesame paste in a bowl and stir in 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil a spoonful at a time until it is smooth and runs off the spoon in a ribbon. Stir in 2 tbsp light soy sauce, ½ tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp Chinese black vinegar and ¼ tsp salt.
Step 2: Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook 10 ½ oz fresh alkaline wheat noodles until just tender with a little bite, usually 1 minute less than the packet. Drain, spread them on a large tray, toss with 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil and fan them with a lid or leave to cool for 10 minutes, lifting them with chopsticks so they don't stick.
12 minStep 3: Just before serving, bring the pan of water back to the boil. Put the noodles in a sieve and dunk them in the boiling water for 20–30 seconds to heat through, then shake well.
2 minStep 4: Divide the noodles between two bowls, spoon the sesame sauce over and top with 1 ⅜ oz pickled mustard tuber (zha cai) or pickled radish, 2 spring onions and 1 tbsp chilli oil. Mix everything thoroughly at the table until every strand is coated.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does re gan mian (Wuhan hot dry noodles) take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of toasted sesame oil?
- Toasted sesame seeds ground with a little vegetable oil.
- What can I use instead of toasted sesame oil?
- Toasted sesame seeds ground with a little vegetable oil.
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