Asian Noodles In Hoisin Sauce (Zhajiang Mian)
If you like Chinese food, you have probably heard of Zhajiang Mian, a very popular Chinese main dish literally translated as “fried sauce noodles”. That sounds really odd to you, doesn’t it? It does!
Do we have to stir-fry some type of sauce to make this dish? Yes, we do! But we don’t just sauté a store-bought sauce. Instead, we are going to stir-fry a sauce mixture containing ground pork in our heated sautépan. Sounds less confusing now? Good!
Let’s see what’s in the sauce mixture. As Zhajiang Mian goes into different regions of China, each region has its preferred sauce. Here are some examples.
In Beijing, yellow soybean paste is used.
In Shanghai, sweet bean sauce (Tianmianjiang) is the main sauce for Zhajiang Mian.
In other parts of China, hoisin sauce, or broad (fava) bean sauce may be used in place of the yellow soybean paste or Tianmianjiang.
Well, we are not in China. The question is what we can use in the West to make a legitimate Zhajiang Mian at home? I say, go with whatever is easiest to find! In this case, I found hoisin sauce combined with soy sauce could do the trick very well! They are pretty accessible to you, right? Great! Let’s move onto the sauce mixture.
Ground pork
Extra firm tofu
Onion
Edamame
That’s it? Yup! With these four common ingredients, you are good to go. Sauté onion, brown pork, and then mix tofu and edamame with hoisin sauce plus soy sauce. It’s that easy!
The sauce mixture is
sweet
salty
soft and crunchy
easy and quick
uber savory
perfect with noodles
last but not least, LEGIT!
Want some heat? Drizzle some Sriracha on top. Oh My! Believe it or not, my mouth is watering already! This recipe yields enough sauce mixture to serve 4 people. I usually make 2 noodle bowls and divid the rest of the sauce to freeze. Next time, just defrost one package and make some noodles. Woohoo! You have a nice and quick lunch right there!
Enough said, shall we make some tonight? 😀
Asian Noodles In Hoisin Sauce (Zhajiang Mian)
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
Asian noodles in a pan-fried homemade sauce mixture made from ground pork and hoisin sauce. Quick, easy and comforting after a busy work day.
Ingredients
- 8 oz ground pork
- 8 oz edamame, shelled
- 8 oz extra firm tofu, diced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- shredded cucumbers for garnishing
- 8 oz wide rice noodles (please refer to the noodle package for serving amount)
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to the package instruction. Drain, divid into 4 bowls and set aside.
- While cooking the noodles, start preparing the sauce mixture. In a sauté pan, heat up vegetable oil over high heat, add onion and sauté until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Add ground pork. Stir to brown (about 2 minutes).
- Stir in hoisin sauce, soy sauce and tofu. Mix and cook for another minute.
- Add edamame, stir until even. (Don’t cook edamame for too long, otherwise they get mushy.)
- Divid sauce mixture into 4 portions and add into the noodle bowls. Top with shredded cucumbers and serve immediately. Mix well before eating. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- I used Thai stir-fried rice noodle in this recipe, but any type of rice noodle works fine.
- This sauce mixture freezes well. If you don’t have 4 people to serve, slim down the noodle amount and freeze the rest of the sauce for later, or double the recipe to make more sauce.
About the Author
Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, an author and a sous vide fanatic who believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she's on a mission to help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.
Amazing recipe! This is what I made for Asian night in our office and my co-workers loved it.