Name: Sesame Noodles
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients: 1½ cups (360 mL) vegetable oil or other neutral-flavored oil; 2 Tbsp. whole Sichuan peppercorns; 2 star anise pods; 1 small cinnamon stick; 2 bay leaves; ½ cup (40 g) coarsely ground dried Sichuan chiles, with seeds; 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds; 2 Tbsp. Chinese sesame paste; 1 Tbsp. soy sauce; 1 tsp. Chinkiang black vinegar; 2 garlic cloves, minced; ½ tsp. ground Sichuan peppercorns; 2 tsp Red Chili Oil with sediment; ¼ tsp. ground white pepper; 7 oz. (200 g) dried Chinese wheat noodles; Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish; Thinly sliced scallion greens, for garnish; 1 small Persian cucumber, thinly julienned, for garnish (optional)

Three bowls of noddles topped with sauces vegetables and tofu.

Photo by Hannah Che

I came home one summer evening after a long bike ride on Yangming mountain, feeling so hungry I thought I’d keel over. Downstairs from my apartment in the crowded Beitou Market was a noodle stand, and I set my bike against the table, plunked myself on a pink plastic stool, and asked for a bowl of sesame noodles. It cost about $2, but to this day I still remember it as the best bowl of noodles I’ve ever eaten. The magic is all in the sauce—nutty sesame paste, minced garlic, slightly citrusy ground Sichuan peppercorn, soy sauce, a splash of rice vinegar, and a drizzle of smoky chili oil—folded into just-cooked noodles. For a refreshing crunch to go with the noodles, add some julienned cucumber.

Make the chili oil in advance—it can be drizzled on numerous dishes as a finishing touch or used in dressings for cold dishes and sauces, and it keeps indefinitely in the fridge. Then the sesame noodles recipe will come together in about the same amount of time as it takes to boil the water.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘The Vegan Chinese Kitchen’ by Hannah Che. Buy the full book on Amazon. This book was selected as one of the best cookbooks of 2022; this recipe appears in our Vegan Comfort Food Meal Plan.

Cook’s note:

Chinese sesame paste has a deeper flavor than tahini since the sesame is well-toasted before grinding, but tahini will work as a substitute.