Sharmila on Food

Tian Shui Mian

One blog that I love to read is Cooking the Books http://bit.ly/6fKqPk.  Whilst it’s not the most frequently updated blog, Josh’s love for, and curiosity about Chinese and other Asian cuisine is infectious.  I have also spent the past few months enviously reading his accounts of his culinary voyages across South East Asia and China.

A recent post focused on a recipe for Tian Shui Mian (which literally translates as sweet water noodles).  This is basically thick, chewy handmade noodles with a sweet, spicy, numbing, nutty sauce.  I had to give it a go.  Eating handmade noodles is a wonderful experience, and a world away from the dried stuff you get in the supermarket.  Coincidentally, I also stumbled across a post focusing on tian shui mian at the wonderful Eating Asia http://bit.ly/8xwCGP - surely this was a sign that these noodles needed to be made and eaten?

These turned out really well.  Moreover, they were incredibly easy to make, and also incredibly tasty.  So tasty in fact that I am making them again this week (Josh was right about making red soy sauce - once is definitely not enough).  I definitely can’t get enough.

Tian Shui Mian - taken from Cooking the Books

serves 4 people for a light meal

Noodles

200gr of plain white flour
200gr strong white flour
200gr water
1ts salt
Oil for rolling out

Sauce

65gr red soy sauce (see note below)
50gr chili oil, with sediment
1 TB sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 ts chicken powder (optional)
10gr sesame paste, I used the dark Sichuan kind but you can use tahini too
2ts roasted and then crushed Sichuan pepper

Method

For the noodles combine the flours and the salt then add the water, stirring and kneading till all the flour has combined.  There’s no need to knead till smooth like you would bread, at this point anyway.  Place in a bowl and cover, leaving for 30 minutes.

At this point remove the dough and give it a knead.  As the dough has had half an hour to hydrate it should knead easily, coming together in a smooth lump in little time at all.  Once smooth cover in clingfilm and leave while you put the sauce together.

Sauce

This couldn’t be much simpler, once you’ve made the red soy sauce that is.

Combine everything except the Sichuan pepper in a bowl and stir until the sesame paste has broken up and all is combined

To Finish

Oil the dough, roll out to 5mm thick then cut into noodles 5mm to 10mm wide.  Dust well to avoid sticking.  Once they’re all cut place into boiling water and cook until floating, probably 3 minutes.  Have a nibble on the end of one to check they’re done.

Drain the noodles and split between four bowls, place a quarter of the sauce on top of each and then sprinkle with Sichuan pepper.

To Eat

Stir the noodles with your chopsticks till they’re coated with the sauce and then enjoy.

Note: Red Soy Sauce

Ingredients

80ml light soy sauce
120gr molasses brown sugar
1 TB rice wine
1 star anise
1 5cm piece of cassia bark (Chinese cinnamon)
Small pinch of fennel seeds

Method

Mix it all up and simmer over a water bath for 15 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened.  Strain and cool.

The excess can be used for more tian shui mian (once will not be enough) or to dip dumplings in.