Traditional Beijing Salty Sweet Bean Paste Noodle

Ingredients: (Serving size 3)

2 cucumbers

8 shiitake mushrooms

1 firm tofu

5 green onions (1 bunch)

4 cloves garlic

bean sprouts (or other micro vegetable sprouts)

grated ginger

olive oil

rice cooking wine

salty soy bean paste

sweet noodle paste (see pictures below)

asian style wide noodles

3 secrects of this noodle dish:

1. 绍兴料酒

Shao Xing rice cooking wine

2. 黄酱( a salty fermented soy bean paste)

 pronounce: Huang Jiang 

direct translation: yellow paste

on the left

3. 甜面酱 (a sweet fermented soy bean paste)

pronounce: Tian Mian Jiang

direct translation: sweet noodle paste

on the right

As long as we use these 3 ingredients, we can change other vegetables in the dish and still make authentic Traditional Beijing Soy Bean Paste Noodle.

1. Heat up a pan with oil (larger amount is better). Add cubed firm tofu. Cook 5 mins until they start to brown on one side. 

2. Add chopped shiitake mushrooms, greated ginger and minced garlic. Cook 5 mins.

3. Add cubed cucumbers, 6 tbsp rice wine, 1 tbsp salty bean paste, 1 tbsp sweet bean paste.

Mix them well and cook 10 mins. Stir every 2 mins. 

4. Add chopped green onions 1 min before killing the heat.

5. Pour these veggies over the noodles. Top with some fresh bean sprouts.

Flavored Oil - Green Onion Flavor

Ingredients: 4 bunches of green onions. 1 medium yellow onion. Olive oil.

Chop up the ingredients to 1 inch long pieces. Set aside or wipe with paper towel to remove excess water.

Put them in a medium size skillet. Add olive oil about 2/3 of the height of the onions. The onions will be cooked down very fast.

Put them over medium low heat. This is the key of making this rich flavor oil. High heat will burn the onions, leave them soggy and taste like spoiled onions. Medium low heat drains out the water of them slowly but makes them crispy and brown in the end. 

Let it cook for at least 50 mins or until most of the onions are brown and crispy. It may take over an hour if you want them to be perfectly crispy. 

Save them in a jar and enjoy them over noodles with salt and pepper.