Dan Dan Sesame Sauce
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk sesame paste with a little warm water or stock until loosened and smooth.
- Add soy sauce and vinegar, whisking to combine.
- Stir in chili oil, garlic, sugar and ground Sichuan peppercorns.
- Adjust consistency with more warm water or stock until pourable but still rich.
- Toss with hot cooked noodles immediately, typically topped with ground pork and chopped scallion.
Cultural Background: A rich, nutty sesame sauce built on Chinese sesame paste and chili oil, dan dan sauce takes its name from the shoulder poles once used by street vendors in Chengdu to carry the noodles, now a beloved Sichuan noodle dish worldwide.
Tips: • Chinese sesame paste is roasted and more intensely flavoured than tahini; use tahini as a substitute but expect a slightly milder result. • Whisking the sesame paste with liquid gradually prevents it from seizing into clumps.
Variations: • Adjust chili oil quantity for a milder or spicier final sauce. • Add a splash of preserved vegetable (ya cai) for the most authentic Chengdu-style flavour.
Storage: Refrigerate the sauce base (without noodles) up to 1 week.
Reheating: Not applicable; tossed with hot noodles immediately after preparation. Nutrition (per serving) Approx. 60 kcal, 1.5 g protein, 5 g fat, 2.5 g carbohydrate per 30 ml serving.
FAQs: What is dan dan sauce traditionally used for? Tossing with fresh wheat noodles to make dan dan noodles, a classic spicy Sichuan street food dish. Can I use tahini instead of Chinese sesame paste? Yes, though Chinese sesame paste is roasted and has a deeper, nuttier flavour; tahini is a workable substitute.
- Chinese sesame paste (or tahini) — 60 g (3 tbsp)
- Soy sauce — 30 ml (2 tbsp)
- Chinkiang vinegar — 15 ml (1 tbsp)
- Sichuan chili oil (with sediment) — 30 ml (2 tbsp)
- Garlic, minced — 2 cloves
- Sugar — 10 g (2 tsp)
- Ground Sichuan peppercorns — 3 g (1 tsp)
- Warm water or stock — 60 ml (1/4 cup)
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