AI-generated image
Danzai noodles
Tàⁿ-á-mī (擔仔麵): little bowls of yellow noodles in prawn broth with braised minced pork, a prawn and garlic
TaiwaneseTainan's most famous snack began with fishermen who, in the stormy months when boats stayed in harbour, carried noodles and broth through the streets on a shoulder pole. It is still served in deliberately small bowls, eaten as a between-meals bite rather than a dinner: springy yellow noodles and bean sprouts in a sweet, clear prawn-shell broth, crowned with a spoonful of slow-cooked minced pork, a single prawn, garlic paste and a dot of black vinegar. Pork is the heart of the topping, braised until sticky with shallots and five-spice. The mistake to avoid is drowning the bowl: use only enough broth to half-cover the noodles, so the meat sauce seasons it. Chef's tip: toast the prawn shells and heads in a dry pot until they turn bright red before adding water; it doubles the sweetness of the broth.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the meat sauce
- 10 ½ oz pork mincenot too lean
- 5 shallotsfinely sliced
- 3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rock sugaror sugar
- ¼ tsp five-spice powder
- 1 ¼ cups water
For the broth
- 8 raw shell-on prawnslarge; peeled and deveined, shells and heads kept
- 5 cups pork or chicken stock
- ½ tsp saltto taste
For the bowls
- 5 ½ oz bean sproutstails picked if you have time
- 4 cloves garlicpounded to a paste with a little water
- 2 tsp black vinegar
- 1 handful fresh coriander (optional)leaves picked
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp neutral oil in a small heavy pan over a medium heat and fry 5 shallots, stirring, until golden and crisp at the edges.
6 minStep 2: Add 3 cloves garlic and fry for 30 seconds, then add 10 ½ oz pork mince. Break it up with a spatula and fry until it has lost all its pink and starts to brown.
6 minStep 3: Stir in 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rock sugar, ¼ tsp five-spice powder and 1 ¼ cups water. Simmer gently, uncovered, stirring now and then, until the sauce is dark, glossy and spoonable and the pork is tender (it will be far past 160°F).
30 minStep 4: While the sauce cooks, put the prawn shells and heads in a dry pot over a medium heat and toast, stirring, until bright red and fragrant.
3 minStep 5: Pour 5 cups pork or chicken stock over the shells, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, then strain and return the broth to the pot. Season with ½ tsp salt.
15 minStep 6: Poach the peeled 8 raw shell-on prawns in the hot broth for 2 minutes, until pink all over and opaque in the centre. Lift out and keep warm.
2 minStep 7: Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Blanch 5 ½ oz bean sprouts for 20 seconds, scoop out, then cook 14 oz fresh yellow alkaline noodles for 1–2 minutes, until just tender with a little bite. Drain well.
Step 8: Divide the noodles and bean sprouts between small bowls and ladle in hot broth to come halfway up the noodles.
Step 9: Top each bowl with a big spoonful of the meat sauce, a prawn, a dab of 4 cloves garlic, a few drops of 2 tsp black vinegar and 1 handful fresh coriander. Serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does danzai noodles take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Boiled pasta
The basic method for any dried pasta, from penne to spaghetti. A large pan of salted boiling water keeps the pasta from sticking, and you cook it only until just done, with a little bite left. Use it in salads, bakes or with any sauce.
Italian
Mint pistachio pesto
A fresh, fragrant pesto made with mint leaves and toasted pistachios. It is lovely tossed through hot pasta or spooned over roasted vegetables, and a spoonful lifts a plain vegetable soup.
Laksam
Kota Bharu's morning market has its own noodle: laksam, thick sheets of steamed rice batter rolled up like little carpets and sliced into wheels. They are drowned in a pale, creamy gravy of pounded fish and coconut milk, then heaped with raw herbs and vegetables (ulam): cucumber, long beans, bean sprouts, daun kesum and torch ginger flower, with a spoonful of fiery chilli and budu, the region's fermented anchovy sauce. The result is soft and slippery, rich and cool at the same time. Locals eat it for breakfast or as a mid-morning snack. Chef's tip: pound the cooked fish with the shallots instead of blending it smooth; the gravy should feel faintly textured, like a thin porridge.
Malaysian