Chinese Sesame Noodles (麻酱面)
Check out this classic version of sesame noodles done in 10 minutes. Learn how to make the perfectly silky and tasty sauce and ingredient substitutes.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 5 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 stalk scallions (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (plus some for garnishing)
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 2 tablespoon Chinese sesame paste (see note 1 for substitutes)
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon black rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 2 portion noodles (see note 2 for weight suggestions)
- ½ large cucumber (cut into matchsticks)
- Fresh chili pepper (chopped, to taste)
- Cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the seasonings
- 2
Put minced garlic, chopped scallions, sesame seeds, and chili flakes into a small bowl. Heat oil until hot. Pour it over the above ingredients. Mix well.
- 3
Add sesame paste to another bowl. Stir with a spoon while adding 2 tablespoons of water in several batches until it becomes a smooth, much thinner consistency. Be patient with this process as it’ll take some time to get the right texture (see note 3 if using substitutes). Add light soy sauce, black rice vinegar, and sugar. Mix until fully integrated.
- 4
Cook the noodles
- 5
Bring plenty of water to a full boil. Put in noodles. Once it comes back to a boil, turn down the heat a little to avoid boiling over.
- 6
Once cooked, transfer the noodles to a colander and rinse under running water to cool them down quickly.
- 7
Assemble the dish
- 8
Place the noodles in 2 serving bowls. Top them up with cucumber, fresh chili, and cilantro (if using). Pour the spicy dressing and the sesame sauce mixture over.
- 9
Give everything a thorough mix to coat each strand of noodle with the sauce. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds to garnish.