One dish that is sure to bring happiness to any Chinese New Year celebration is spicy Sichuan noodles. Chinese New Year also known as Spring Festival is a time for family, friends and delicious food. These noodles, also known as "mala" noodles. Mala are a staple in Sichuan cuisine and are known for their intense spiciness and mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns.
What is Mala?
Mala is a popular seasoning blend commonly use in Chinese cuisine particularly in the Sichuan province. Mala is typically includes a combination of Sichuan peppercorns, chili flakes and other spices such as star anise, cinnamon and fennel seed. The seasoning is known for its complex and bold flavor, with a balance of heat, numbing, and savory taste.
Mala is often used to make a type of dish called "mala hot pot" or "mala xiang guo", which is a popular Chinese street food. It is also used to season a variety of other dishes such as noodles, tofu, and meat.
How to make Spicy Sichuan Noodles
Want something spicy, then this is the dish for you. You can have it during lunch or late at night after a long day at works. You can cook it at home as this recipe is a quick 30 minutes recipe. Simple, easy and quick recipe that you can cook at home.
Most Sichuan noodles are dry as these are mainly dan dan noodles. But here we do cook lots of modern and fusion food. So our noodle recipe is both dry version and soup Sichuan Noodles. Let's begin to make and eat spicy Chinese cuisine.
Ingredients
Simple ingredients that you can find in your fridge everyday or even at your local shop nearby your home. Now the fun part starts is to be in the kitchen and start cooking.
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a pan, heat the Sichuan chili oil and chili paste over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the ground pork (if using) and cook until browned.
- Add the soy sauce and sugar, and stir to combine.
- Add the cooked noodles to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce.
- Serve the noodles in bowls and garnish with scallions (if using).
Additionally for Sichuan noodles you can even make it as a soup version. Soup version for Sichuan noodles is more towards comfort food. When you are feeling a bit down, tired or just not having the best days. Go for noodles with soup. It is like a warm blanket to make you have a better tomorrow.
Steps for Soup Sichuan Noodle
Soup Sichuan Noodles - Additional Instructions |
|---|
| Add the soy sauce and sugar, and stir to combine. |
| Add the Sichuan chili oil mixture to the pot of broth and stir to combine. |
| Add the cooked noodles to the pot and stir well to combine. |
| Add the green vegetables (if using) and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. |
There you go two different versions of Sichuan noodles to cook at home or even go to order at a restaurants. As the trends these days for mala peppercorn is coming up and is found near-by your home in any parts of the world.
Fun Fact
- Chinese cuisine is ranked in the top 20 world best cuisine. Check out top 100 top cuisines in the world here.
- Dairy is hardly ever found in traditional Chinese cuisine. Source
- Did you know, almost all Chinese food have significant meaning and symbols. Such as noodles is for longevity and for happiness. Source
Final Thoughts
You are now able to make delicious Sichuan noodles at home in no time. Not only will you be able to enjoy the authentic taste of Chinese food, but you'll also be able to impress your friends and family with your newfound culinary skills. Spicy Sichuan noodles are a delicious and traditional dish that is sure to bring happiness to any Chinese New Year celebration. With a rich history and intense flavor, these noodles are a staple in Sichuan cuisine and a must-try for anyone looking to experience the unique flavors of China.
Whether you prefer the classic mala flavor or a variation like dan-dan or zha jiang, spicy Sichuan noodles are a delicious way to celebrate the new year or any time of the day.
To check out the number 1 ranked dish in the world, is Panang Curry. Another Asian cuisine but not so spicy as Sichuan noodles.
Wanting to know the top 9 noodles to eat in Asia, check out the best 9 Asian noodles bowls here.
They look pretty good, would love to try this recipe.