Sichuan Sweet Water Noodles (Tián Shuǐ Miàn 甜水面)
Tian Shui Mian (甜水面), Sichuan sweet water noodles, are one of the lesser-known but truly fascinating dishes of Sichuan: thick, chewy homemade noodles in a sweet, spicy and nutty sauce.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
Noodles
- 300 g all-purpose flour about 2⅓ cups
- 140 ml water about ½ cup + 1 tbsp
- pinch of salt
Sauce
- 2 tbsp homemade Sichuan sweet soy sauce see the linked recipe in the article
- 1 tsp garlic finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Chinese sesame paste
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2 tsp chili oil
- 2 tsp crushed peanuts and sesame seeds
- 2 tsp freshly ground Sichuan pepper use less for a milder tingle
Instructions
- Mix the salt into the flour, then add the water. The dough may feel a little stiff at first. Knead firmly until almost smooth. Wrap in plastic and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead again for 2–3 minutes, wrap well and rest another 15 minutes. If you have time, kneading more during this process makes the noodles chewier – over a 1-hour rest you can knead 2–4 times.
- Knead the dough for another 30 seconds, then roll it out into a large rectangle about 4–6 mm (¼ inch) thick. Cut into wide strips about 6–8 mm (¼–⅓ inch) wide. Stretch the noodles slightly.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the noodles and cook for about 3 minutes (5 minutes for thicker noodles) until done. Don't overcook them!
- Transfer the noodles to a serving bowl and add the sweet soy sauce, sugar, garlic, chili oil and sesame paste, then the ground Sichuan pepper, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds. Toss well.
- Garnish with cilantro or scallions, if you like. Serve hot.
Notes
The sweet soy sauce is what gives these noodles their name. It's a simple homemade reduction of soy sauce, brown sugar and spices – see the sweet soy sauce recipe linked in the article. In a pinch, use kecap manis or simmer equal parts soy sauce and brown sugar until syrupy.
No time to make noodles? Thick store-bought wheat noodles or udon work, although they're less chewy.