DanDan Noodles
DanDan noodles are one of those dishes we keep coming back to again and again, and this collab with Grubby is properly special. You've got these incredible crispy smoked tofu and mushroom crumbles sitting on top of silky noodles, all drenched in a spicy, nutty, deeply savoury sauce that just hits every single note. The textures are unreal, crunchy bits, soft noodles, tender carrot matchsticks, all working together in one bowl. Honestly, if you've never had DanDan noodles before, this is the version to start with. Make it tonight, you won't regret it.
Before You Start
- Large frying pan
- Pan of boiling water for noodles
- Mixing bowl for sauce
- Microplane or fine grater for garlic & ginger
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil - plus extra if needed
- 125g chestnut mushrooms
- 225g smoked tofu
- 3 spring onions
- 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
- 50ml water
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 100g rice noodles
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger
- 1 carrot
- 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
- chilli oil for drizzling - (optional)
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Method
Prepare the vegetables and crispy mince
- Finely chop the mushrooms
- Peel and slice the carrot into thin matchsticks
- Pat the smoked tofu dry with kitchen paper
- Heat the sesame oil in the hot frying pan, then add the mushrooms and carrots with pinch of salt
- Finely crumble the smoked tofu into the pan, then fry everything together for about 10 minutes over a high heat, stirring regularly, until you are left with a crispy mixture (turn down the heat if you find it sticks to the pan too much)
- Add the sliced carrots to the pan when you are nearly there and continue frying
- Slice the spring onions and set aside
Meanwhile, cook the noodles and make the sauce
- Add the noodles to a pan of boiling water and cook as per the instructions on the pack
- Drain and rinse with cold water, and keep aside until needed
- Mix together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl (reduce the amount of chilli flakes if you’re not good with spice)
Return to the crispy mince
- Peel the garlic and ginger, and grate them directly into the pan
- Add the Chinese 5 spice
- Cook for 1 minute, adding a splash more oil to the pan if it looks too dry
- Pour in a third of the sauce and cook for 2 minutes until everything is nicely coated and the mince is well-browned
- Remove half the mince mixture and set it aside, and reduce the heat to low while the noodles finish cooking, if needed
- Transfer the cooked noodles to the pan and add most of the spring onion, keeping a handful back for garnish
- Increase the heat, pour in the remaining sauce and stir well, adding a splash of water to loosen if necessary
Time to serve
- Divide the noodle mixture between 2 bowls
- Top with the reserved crispy mince
- Finish each portion with a drizzle of chilli oil (optional), sesame seeds and the remaining spring onion slices
Tips & Variations
- Get the tofu crispy: Pat the smoked tofu really, really dry before it goes in the pan. The drier it is, the crispier it gets. Trust us on this one, it makes a huge difference.
- Adjust the heat: DanDan noodles are traditionally quite spicy, so dial the chilli up or down depending on who you're cooking for. We always add a little extra chilli oil on top at the end.
- Prep everything first: This one moves fast once it's going, so have all your ingredients chopped and measured before you turn the heat on. It's an advanced recipe but it's totally doable if you're organised.
Why This Works
The trick here is getting that smoked tofu properly crispy in the pan, and the key is patting it really dry before it goes in and not being shy with the heat. That crispy mince-style topping is what gives you the contrast that makes DanDan noodles so addictive. The sesame oil does a lot of heavy lifting too, so don't skip it or swap it out, it's the soul of the whole dish.