kimchi dan dan noodles

Kimchi dan dan noodles aren’t a real thing (as far as I know)! However, I was inspired by the Chinese dan dan noodle, a rich, savory noodle dish traditionally topped with ground pork, preserved mustard greens, and coated in a spicy, numbing sauce! 

I’m always looking for fun ways to use kimchi! This delicious, untraditional Korean-Chinese fusion dan dan noodles is one of my favorites so far. It substitutes fermented kimchi for the preserved mustard greens, and gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) for the traditional Sichuan numbing peppercorns. It also uses some of the wonderfully acidic kimchi brine for some added balance to the sauce. I think you’ll love the amazing flavor combinations that this fusion dish brings together!

I’m using my favorite kimchi, Cosmos Kimchi, to make this recipe. (This post is sponsored by Cosmos Kimchi, and I’m a proud partner! I’d recommend anyone to try their kimchi, especially if you’ve never tried it before.)

What are dan dan noodles?

Traditional dan dan noodles are a popular spicy Sichuan street food! Depending on the region, or even the chef or cook, there are many variations of this dish. The word “dan dan” in Chinese (担担) refers to how street vendors would carry the poles on their shoulders to sell this dish.

The Chinese version typically consists of ground pork, preserved mustard greens or other vegetables, over thin wheat noodles and coated in a spicy, savory sauce. After adding the toppings, you mix everything together to enjoy all the combined flavors in each bite.

Why should you try making kimchi dan dan noodles?

In this kimchi dan dan noodle, I substitute fermented kimchi for the preserved vegetables, and gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) for the Sichuan peppercorns. The kimchi brine is also used to add acidity to this savory, nutty sauce!

These substitutions make for a fun take on the traditional dan dan noodle, especially when you’re looking to mix things up. (get it? because you need to mix the noodles? heh!)

Where to find my favorite storebought fermented kimchi for kimchi dan dan noodles

• To see if any local grocery stores near you sell Cosmos Kimchi, check this link here!
• If they’re not at a store near you, they also ship to anywhere in the United States. You can shop online here.
• If you’d like to request Cosmos Kimchi at a local grocery chain near you (and get $5 off your online store purchase!), fill out this form here.

Kimchi Dan Dan Noodles

An untraditional, but delicious take on the Chinese dan dan noodles, with Korean ingredients like fermented kimchi and gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes).

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Prep Time 10 minutesmins

Cook Time 20 minutesmins

Total Time 30 minutesmins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese, korean

Servings 2people

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 8ozthin wheat noodlesideally fresh, but dried will work
• yu choy, gailan, spinach, or other dark leafy greens
• neutral oil for cooking(avocado, canola, vegetable, etc.)
• 4-5clovesgarlic
• 1inchknob of ginger
• 1shallotor 1/4 onion
• 1-2stalksscallionswhites and greens separated

ground pork mixture

• 5ozground pork
• 1/4cupfermented kimchichopped
• 2tspShaoxing wine
• 2tsplight soy sauce
• 1tspdark soy sauce
• tiny pinchsugar
• tiny pinchsalt

sauce

• cooked aromatics (garlic, ginger, shallots, scallion whites)
• 1/4cuppeanut butter or sesame paste(I like chunky peanut butter for the crunchy bits)
• 1tbsp fermented kimchi brineor 1/2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar, or rice vinegar) 
• 1tbsplight soy sauce
• 1tspgochugaru(Korean red pepper flakes)
• 2tbspchili crisp + oil(use more if preferred!)
• 1/8tspsugar
• 1/2tspsesame oil
• 4-6tbsphot water(depending on how thick of a sauce you prefer) 

garnish

• chopped roasted peanuts
• chopped fermented kimchi
• scallion greens

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients

• Mince all the aromatics (or use a food processor and pulse until finely chopped). Chop the fermented kimchi into small pieces. 
  4-5 cloves garlic, 1 inch knob of ginger, 1 shallot, 1-2 stalks scallions, 1/4 cup fermented kimchi

Cook the ground pork and noodles

• Heat up a pot of water to cook the noodles. While you wait for the pot of water to boil, you can start on the ground pork.
• Heat up a separate pan on medium heat, then add 1-2 tbsp of neutral oil and half of the aromatics. Once fragrant (2-3 min), add the ground pork. Break up the ground pork into small chunks, and cook until there’s no more pink left.
  neutral oil for cooking, 5 oz ground pork
• Add the seasonings for the ground pork and continue cooking until lightly caramelized. 
  2 tsp Shaoxing wine, 2 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, tiny pinch sugar, tiny pinch salt
• Add the kimchi, and continue stir-frying for 2-3 min. Remove the ground pork and kimchi from the pan, leaving any oil in the pan. 
  1/4 cup fermented kimchi
• Add the rest of the chopped aromatics into the pan, and additional oil if necessary. Cook for 3-4 min, or until aromatics are fragrant and lightly caramelized. Set aside. 
• In the pot of boiling water, add the thin wheat noodles, and cook according to the package directions. For the ones I’m using (in the video), it only requires 3-4 minutes in boiling water. In the last minute of cooking, add the leafy greens. 
  8 oz thin wheat noodles, yu choy, gailan, spinach, or other dark leafy greens
• Save 1/2 cup of the boiling water for the sauce. Drain the noodles and greens, then rinse in cold water to prevent overcooking. 

Mix the sauce together and assemble

• Mix all the sauce ingredients together. Taste and adjust to your preferences.
  cooked aromatics (garlic, ginger, shallots, scallion whites), 1/4 cup peanut butter or sesame paste, 1 tbsp fermented kimchi brine, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp gochugaru, 2 tbsp chili crisp + oil, 1/8 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 4-6 tbsp hot water
• To assemble, ladle a few spoonfuls of the sauce at the bottom, a serving of the cooked noodles, the ground pork + kimchi, leafy greens, and any extra garnishes. I like to add chopped roasted peanuts, more kimchi, and scallions. Mix it all together and enjoy!  
  chopped roasted peanuts, chopped fermented kimchi, scallion greens

Video

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A post shared by Susanna 🍜 easy recipes (@smelly.lunchbox)

Keyword dan dan noodles, kimchi dan dan noodles, korean chinese fusion

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