Taiwanese Sesame Noodles

Taiwanese Sesame Noodles

These sesame noodles (Ma Jiang Mian) are a popular Taiwanese street food that are traditionally eaten cold amidst the hot and humid climate. In their simplicity, they achieve a perfect balance of sweet, tangy & nutty, creating a deep, rich and satisfying flavour that makes a perfect quick lunch. If you’re in a hurry, you can leave out the garlic and ginger, but taking the extra few minutes to peel and grate both into the sauce takes it to the next level.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 200g noodles
  • 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (or tahini)
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp Gulp’s Sichuan chilli oil
  • 1 tsp golden granulated sugar
  • 1 garlic clove (optional)
  • 10g ginger (optional)
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

  1. Bring a pan of seasoned water to a boil for the noodles. In a small frying pan, toast the sesame seeds until golden.
  2. In the meantime, make the paste by mixing together the sesame paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chilli oil and sugar. If you want to take it to the next level, also peel and grate in the garlic and ginger, but if you’re short on time, you can leave it out. Thinly slice the spring onions.
  3. Cook the noodles according to the instructions, but before draining them, use a mug or ladle to reserve around 75 ml of the water. Add it to the paste and stir it until you have a loose sauce. Divide the sauce over two bowls, add the noodles and mix well to coat the noodles evenly. Garnish with the sliced spring onions and sprinkle over the sesame seeds.
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