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Zhajiangmian

Wheat noodles under a dark salty pork sauce, with raw cucumber on top to cut it.

Zhajiangmian
Photo: Archon6812, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. A photo of the dish, not of these exact recipes.

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How to make zhajiangmian

2 genuinely different takes — a classic, and a faster or lighter route. The same ones the app hands you once you have decided.

The Beijing way

40 minutes · serves 4 · Easy

What you need

  • 400g minced pork
  • 4 tbsp sweet bean sauce
  • 2 tbsp yellow bean paste
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 500g wheat noodles
  • 1 cucumber, in matchsticks

What you do

  1. 1Fry the pork in a dry wok until the fat renders and it browns properly. Do not rush this part.
  2. 2Add the onion and cook until soft, then the two bean pastes, soy and sugar.
  3. 3Turn it low and let it cook down for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is dark and thick and oily.
  4. 4Boil the noodles, drain, and divide between bowls.
  5. 5A big spoon of sauce on top, raw cucumber alongside. Mix it all at the table.

Weeknight, half the time

20 minutes · serves 2 · Very easy

What you need

  • 250g minced pork
  • 3 tbsp sweet bean sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 250g noodles
  • Cucumber

What you do

  1. 1Brown the mince hard, add the sauce, soy and sugar with a splash of water.
  2. 2Simmer 10 minutes while the noodles cook.
  3. 3Cucumber on top. It is not as deep and it is still very good.