Zhajiangmian — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A beloved Beijing noodle dish of thick wheat noodles topped with a savory fermented soybean paste sauce and fresh julienned vegetables. This hearty comfort food is the working-class soul food of northern China.

Ingredients

400g thick wheat noodles
300g ground beef
4 tablespoons sweet bean paste (tianmianjiang)
2 tablespoons soybean paste (doubanjiang)
1 cucumber, julienned
200g bean sprouts
4 green onions, shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sugar
200ml water
4 radishes, julienned

Instructions

1 Heat vegetable oil in a wok over high heat and stir-fry the ground beef, breaking it into small crumbles, until it is browned and the fat has rendered out completely.
2 Add the sweet bean paste and soybean paste to the beef, stirring constantly for two minutes to toast the pastes and develop their deep umami flavor.
3 Pour in the water and sugar, reduce the heat, and simmer the sauce for ten minutes until it has thickened into a rich, glossy, deeply savory meat sauce.
4 Cook the thick wheat noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions, then drain and rinse them briefly under cold water to stop the cooking.
5 Divide the noodles among four bowls, top each with a generous ladle of the meat sauce, and arrange the julienned cucumber, bean sprouts, radishes, and shredded green onions around the edges for mixing in.

Did You Know?

In Beijing, families argue passionately about whether to use sweet bean paste or yellow soybean paste in their zhajiangmian, and the debate is considered as heated as regional barbecue rivalries.