Now that the weather is taking a turn towards the cool chill of fall, appetites are shifting from the light, fresh tastes of summer to hearty, filling dishes that warm the body from the inside. Grand Circle’s Program Director Ruan (known to most as “Albert”) Hong Zheng from our China & the Yangtze River Cruise Tour recently recommended a great comfort dish that does just that—but still keeps a little touch of summer.
Zha jiang mian, which translates to “fried sauce noodles,” is a savory meat dish out of northern China made from bean paste and ground pork and served over wide wheat noodles—resembling spaghetti a bit in its presentation. This hot and hearty dish is usually served topped with raw, crunchy vegetables, such as bean sprouts or julienned cucumbers or carrots, nicely combining the fresh with the savory, or summer with fall.
A staple comfort food in China, zha jiang mian can be prepared and served in a variety of ways—with your choice of vegetables in the cooked and raw portions of the dish: carrots, green beans, radishes, zucchini, cucumber, or bean sprouts. And when you travel with us on China & the Yangtze River or China’s Cultural Capitals, be sure to sample this dish in its authentic setting.
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 ½ lbs. ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
4 Tbs. brown soybean paste
4 Tbs. sweet bean paste or hoisin sauce
1/8-1/4 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 lb. wheat noodles (eggless noodles made from wheat flour)
Raw carrots and cucumber, julienned
Preparation:
- Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, garlic, and zucchini, stir-frying for about 30 seconds.
- Add ground pork and stir-fry until slightly brown.
- Reduce heat to medium and add soybean paste, sweet bean paste or hoisin sauce, water, salt, and sugar, adjusting seasonings as desired. Stir until the sauce begins to boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens (about ten minutes), stirring occasionally to prevent sauce from burning.
- Add sesame oil and stir.
- In a separate pot, cook noodles, following the package’s instructions.
- Transfer noodles to individual bowls and ladle meat sauce over the top. Top with julienned carrots and cucumber and enjoy!
Servings: 5-6
Enjoy traditional dishes like this on China & the Yangtze River or China's Cultural Capitals.