Zha Jiang Mian means “fried sauce noodles” or “noodles with soybean paste” – it is the most traditional and popular noodle dish from Beijing. It consists of thick wheat noodles topped with zhajiang sauce. Zhajiang sauce is normally made by simmering stir-fried ground pork or beef with salty fermented soybean paste.

Zha Jiang Mian 炸酱麵
Ingredients
- 200 g Smoked Tofu
- 100 g Vegan Mince
- 200 g Sweet Bean Paste (甜麵酱)
- 100 g Soy Bean Paste (豆瓣酱)
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- ½ Cucumber a medium-sized cucumber
- 100 g Bean Sprouts
- 300 g Fresh Wheat Noodles or 200g dried noodles
Instructions
- Ground a small piece of ginger and cut 200g of smoked tofu into small cubes,cut cucumber into strips
- Add oil in the pan (medium heat), add ground ginger, 10s later add vegan mince, use the spatula to break the patties into pieces as small as possible, sauté for 1 min and then add the smoked tofu cubes
- The next step is to add 200g of Sweet Bean Paste (甜麵酱), 2 tbsp of Soy Bean Paste (豆瓣酱), 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 200g of warm water
- Let the sauce simmer for about 10 mins and stir in between so it doesn't stick to the pan.
- Boil the bean sprouts for 30s, then take them out. Boil the noodles until they are al dente. Be careful not to overcook the noodles otherwise they become soggy and sticky.
- When the sauce is done, dress the noodles with cucumber strips and bean sprouts and some Zhajiang sauce
Notes
It is recommended to use fresh wheat noodles for this recipe as they are more elastic and have a better taste than the dried ones in general.
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