Liangpi Cold Skin Wheat Starch Noodles 凉皮
With all that leftover starch and a good bit of effort you can make these Liangpi Cold Skin Noodles 凉皮: thin, white, smooth noodles that have a delightfully chewy texture and a neutral taste that is perfect for absorbing the flavors of the sauces it's mixed with. Once the homemade Liangpi Noodles are made they are traditionally mixed with thinly sliced vegetables and various aromatics then tossed with a kick ass sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and chili oil.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 portion leftover washing water from making wheat gluten (see our recipe link)
- 1 cucumber, sliced to matchsticks
- 1 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 6 tbsp spring onion, chopped to rounds
- 3 chili peppers, sliced
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp Chinese Zhenjiang black vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- 1
To make the liang pi noodles: Make wheat gluten as per our recipe, reserving all the washing water. This basically is just water mixed with wheat starch. Let this water sit covered overnight to settle the starch to the bottom and the water to the top.
- 2
Ladle the water out and discard until you can no longer ladle without disturbing the starch. This is the noodle batter.
- 3
Prepare steamer and two well oiled flat bottomed pans that will fit into the steamer.
- 4
Stir batter vigorously (the starch tends to sink to the bottom) and ladle a scoop into the first flat pan. The batter should be about 1/8 inch thick.
- 5
Place into steamer and steam for 2-3 mins or until the batter turns transparent. Remove. Brush oil generously over the top to prevent sticking.
- 6
Ladle a scoop of batter into second pan and place in steamer.
- 7
When first pan is cool enough to touch use fingertips to pick up the edge of noodle sheet and peel off. Slice immediately into 1/2 inch noodle strips and toss into a bowl. Repeat until all the noodles are made.
- 8
To dress the noodles: Divide noodles into 6 bowls. Sprinkle cilantro, spring onion and chili peppers evenly over all bowls. Place cucumber to one side.
- 9
In a bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sugar and sesame oil until the sugar is melted. Drizzle 2 tbsp of sauce over each bowl.
- 10
Serve, letting each diner mix their cold noodles themselves. Enjoy!