My dinner inspirations often come from reading food blogs (besides the hundreds of cookbooks in my book shelf). This one is no exception. It came from Helen of Grab Your Fork's review of our favourite Shanghai noodle and dumpling restaurant - New Shanghai. The two dishes that we always order when we visit this place are Zha Jiang Mian (Za Jiang Mein) and Pan Fried Pork Buns (生煎包). Reading her post got me into craving for Zha Jiang Noodles. So I went with my instinct and made this dish for dinner.
There are many different versions of making this noodle dish depending on the region the version originates from. You can read more about the background of this dish on Wikipedia. The version that I like is made with sweet bean sauce. This dish is ridiculously easy to make but you must get the two main ingredients right.
The first ingredient to take note of is the noodle. I use Shanghai noodle bought from an Asian grocer. If you can't find it, replace it with udon noodle.
Secondly, the sweet bean sauce (甜面酱). You can buy it from Asian grocers. Although you can replace it with yellow soybean paste (黄酱), hoisin sauce (海鲜酱), or soybean paste (豆瓣酱), I do prefer sweet bean sauce, notably for the balance of sweetness and saltiness.
Once you have these two ingredients sorted, the rest of the cooking process is easy peasy.
Shanghai 'Zha Jiang' Noodles (炸醬麵) Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
500 g Shanghai noodle
2 tbsp sweet bean paste (more if you prefer stronger taste)
500 g minced pork
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dark sauce sauce
1/2 cup water
1 carrot, thinly shredded
1 cucumber, thinly shredded
Chopped spring onions for garnish
Method
- Heat a wok or frying pan with oil. Add pork mince and stir fry until brown. Add ginger and garlic and stir fry together with the pork mince until fragrant.
- Add sweet bean sauce, dark soy sauce and mix until combined.
- Add 1/2 cup of water, bring to a boil and then lower heat to a slow simmer until sauce is thicken. Add sugar to taste.
- Cook the noodle according to packet instructions. Drain and put into four individual serving bowls.
- Divide pork mince into 4 equal portions and pour on the noodle.
- Sprinkle with chopped spring onions and garnish with shredded carrots and cucumber.
- Serve immediately.
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54 comments:
Yummm this is one of my favourite noodle dishes :) my family calls it the Asian spaghetti bolognese haha!
Now you got me craving! It's alike a delicious (not vicious) circle huh?!
Yes, such a simple recipe with the ingredients so accessible. Thanks Ellie!
I love this kind of dish - I usually make it with hoi sin sauce - my kids refer to it as Chinese Spag Bol!!!! I will have to try it with the sweet bean paste.
The sweetened soybean sauce reminded me of Korean Zha Jiang Mian.
When I go to a Chinese noodle restaurant, I usually order 炸醬麵 - can't go wrong with that. But when the restaurant does it wrong, it can't escape too :O
Love your version with lots of cucumber and carrot. Makes it so healthy.
that orange color makes me want to eat! funny how the right colors on a plate or bowl make you even more anxious to eat.
I've had zha jiang mian at various places around Sydney and my favourite is probably the version at Chinese Noodle Restaurant (a hole in the wall with questionable hygiene) although that particular one I doubt I can recreate: the noodles are handmade so there's a certain bite and textural chewiness to them and the sauce is particularly rich and almost stew-like (I'm wondering if they throw in star anise and the like). Not sure if you've been to the place (likely considering the line that's always hovering about) but if you haven't, I suggest you give it a try. Your version looks bright and sprightly; perfect for the increasingly spring-esque weather :)
I haven't had this in a while, yum! Your version looks so fresh and delicious.
Looks delicious. I need to change my opinion toward the chinese food that it only contain soy sauce. It contains other ingredients too.
I love the Korean version. :) with sweet potatoes and zucchini. :D
Those ready made sauces are really handy and add more kicks in flavour.
Having browsed your gorgeous pictures, I'm starving this 炸醬麵 for lunch today lah !
Ellie, you are making me craving for zha jiang mien, I must quickly go get the ingredients 1st :).
This looks so delicious!!
Very nice presentation :)I love Zha Jiang Mian and made this very often at home.
I love this noodle dish!! I am craving it now....I have to make this soon.. looks simple enough too :D
Thanks for this recipe!! This is one of my favorite dishes!!! Hmmm...will maybe have to make this for my blog some time in the near future too... :)
I make this quite often as well... especially when Im lazy! but of course I don't julienne the veg... lazy!
That looks wonderful and simple. One I'm going to pull out coming into summer. Love your blog :)
I love this kind of fish as well. So easy and delicious :)
i adore grating vegetables, i adore noodles, the final touch smell of soy sauce etc. i should have the genes:) Lovely pics...
great combination ,i love it!perfect pictures,too!:)
The Korean version of this is comfort food for me. I asked for it for my last birthday dinner! :D
A lovely noodle dish. Healthy and flavorful.
Cheers,
Rosa
One of my favourite Shanghainese dishes which husband usually avoids as he doesn't like cucumber!
this sound so comfort, and I bet my kids will love this ! Thanks for sharing.
I LOVE zha jiang mian! Order it all the time when I go to the restaurants, but have said many times that I should just go whip it up myself - it's so easy to make!
This recipe sounds so interesting. I would love to try it! Thanks Ellie!
Magda
Looks wonderful. This will inspire one of my meals this week!
osh-by-gosh
your blog is utterly splendid!
I just thought you need informing!
keehee x x
Mm I love these noodles and miss my fav Chinese restaurant that would make a veggie version just for me using tofu.
what a great idea for a delicious dinner!
have a nice time!
Paula
Great dish, and beautiful pictures! Every time I visit your blog I start craving all the food LOL!
i have not tried soybean paste...is it similar to miso paste?
The dish looks simple yet delicious! I love how you shredded the vegetables.
Looks delicious! I wonder which brand of Sweet Bean Paste is the best?
This looks delicious, just like the noodle dish from our favorite local noodle house. I think it is great that you give some terrific substitutions for the ingredients since not all products are so easy to locate even with an Asian store close. Now I am seriously craving these noodles!
Quite possibly my favorite Asian noodle dish! Ellie, I'm always in awe of the dishes you make (and also slightly frustrated because I do NOT make dinner often enough). This is a must try!
Oh brilliant, an excuse for me to pull out my V Slicer. I love that thing.
This looks very nice and fresh, love the colours.
I just happen to have a tin of bean paste in the cupboard, what a happy coincidence!
Yum, now I want to eat this too :) So perfect for this weather.
That is the most lovely presentation,
Ellie! That alone makes me want to try this recipe.
But then, once I read your post, I was drooling at the wonderful flavors! Really lovely.
I love zha jiang noodles especially with lots of sauce. Although it is a simple dish but the flavours are absolutely robust. Lovely dish.
I like Steph's comment about Asian spag bol - never thought about it that way but they're both very much comfort foods. Your version Ellie looks fool proof and of course delicious.
Ooh I haven't had zha jiang mien for a while... probably time to make it again. Your version looks great!
that is a classic noodle dish! and i love that you use the same brand of sauce that i use : for every chinese sauce possible :)
Yum Ellie! This noodle bowl looks so delicious. I need to make something like this soon. Especially since I need to find the closest Asian foods store to my new place;)
yummy! I tend to add lots of chili into this dish at the restaurants. Got to try this with cucumbers :)
Mmmm my mother makes pretty good zha jiang mien but she uses more lean meat so prob not as flavoursome as it should be! This one looks sooo good but mmm
Wow, you can actually get that kind of fresh noodle. (Actually quite amaze with all the things you can get in Australia).
Over here, I think we'll have to use the mee-suah type (dry) or the pan-mee type (fresh).
The dish is simple to make and so healthy huh?
Thanks Ellie for the recipe! My hubs and I just love zha jiang mian. Yum yum. I've never seen sweetened bean paste though.. will have to keep an eye out!
this noodle dish is making me very hungry right now. my mom makes something like this for me when i visit.
ooo this dish looks so simple yet elegant! Yum .. im hungry now!
I often make this at home as well...one of my favourites! you sliced the carrots and cucumbers soo neatly!!
yum yum!! I'm craving for some good zha jiang noodles now!
Since I can't find a decent sweet bean paste in here i substitute it with chunjang(Korean black bean paste) and add some sugar to replicate the sweet-salty taste of sweet bean paste.
-joy-
I love Zha Jiang!!! I was introduced to it 18 years ago, at my Taiwanese friend's house, whose cook was the best in the world! Now..I make it constantly for my kids..yummy!
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