Vegetarian Tan Tan Noodles
Tan Tan (also called Dandan) refers to an across-the-shoulder pole carried by food peddlers in old Sichuan. Baskets—one with sauce and the other with noodles—dangled from each end of the pole, providing an inexpensive and nourishing meal to strolling locals. Eventually the noodles were named after the pole, coming to be known as “peddler’s noodles”—street food from way back. The traditional Chinese recipe is a chili-laced noodle soup strewn with ground pork, preserved vegetables, and scallions. This version combines minced vegetables and tofu with a black bean, garlic, and peanut butter sauce that coats the noodles with deep, dark essence and crunch.
Excerpted from THE HEART OF THE PLATE, (c) 2013 by Mollie Katzen. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Serves 5
- 1/2 cup creamy, lightly salted peanut butter
- 1/2 cup black bean–garlic sauce (see note)
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar, light-colored honey, or brown sugar
- 1 cup very hot water
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed, canola, or peanut oil, plus more as needed
- 1 heaping cup minced onion
- 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean, stemmed, and minced (about 4 cups)
- Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 celery stalk, minced
- 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and minced (1 cup)
- 12 ounces very firm tofu, cut into small dice
- 1/2 pound bucatini, linguine, or spaghetti or fresh long Chinese noodles, if available
Combine the peanut butter, black bean–garlic sauce, sweetener, and hot water in a medium-large bowl and whisk until blended. Set aside.
Put on a large pot of water to boil.
Meanwhile, heat a large (10- to 12-inch) skillet or a large wok over medium heat for about a minute. Add the oil, swirl to coat the pan, then toss in the onion and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, or until it just begins to soften. Add the shiitakes and salt, and cook, stirring, for another 2 or 3 minutes. Add the celery, water chestnuts, and tofu. Increase the heat to medium-high as you continue to stir-fry, allowing the mixture to stick to the pan a little and brown. Use a spatula with a thin metal blade to scrape the bottom of the pan, so the well-done bits can become incorporated. (You can add a touch more oil during this time, moving things over so it hits the pan directly.) Keep this process going for 5 minutes or so, until the vegetables and tofu are deeply browned, scraping as you go. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the peanut sauce.
When the water boils, add the noodles and cook until al dente, or done to your liking.
When the noodles are done, drain them thoroughly in a colander and transfer them to the sauce. Toss to coat and serve immediately.
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