Turmeric Hand Pulled Noodles with A Little Sizzle

I’ve been focused on developing recipes for my dumpling/little bundles of food chapter for book 2, so I have dough on the mind! It’s been a minute since I last made hand pulled noodles and I was happily reminded of their thick and chewy glory. You may have been introduced to hand pulled noodles by way of Xi’an Famous Food, which is one of my favorite stopping points whenever I’m in New York. I was first introduced to them during a solo adventure weekend in Xi’an. This was back when I was young and not afraid of sleeping in hostiles. It was summer, but I still ordered a hot bowl of mutton soup with hand pulled noodles while exploring the Muslim quarter. I was sweating but absolutely delighted with each slurp.

Now, whenever I crave these noodles and feel like slapping some dough against my counter, I make my own hand-pulled noodles! It’s so easy. While working on Mooncakes and Milk Bread and this recent chapter of book 2, I’ve come to realize that the same dough recipe can be used in so many different ways. This simple recipe of just flour and water is nearly identical to my dumpling dough, moo shu wrapper dough, and a few other carby things. The variations fall on the difference of just 20 grams of water, the temperature of said water, and the amount of kneading time. It’s the small details that really make a difference, folks!

The keys to make hand pulled noodles…

is (1) developing strong gluten through kneading and (2) rest time. Sort of like working out (not that I know too much about that) but after working out your muscles, you need time to chill out and relax. The dough is kneaded twice to really build up a strong gluten structure, which allow the noodles to pull into long noodles without breaking. After the kneading, the dough is then cut into 6 portions and brushed with some oil so it doesn’t dry out while you let it rest for a few hours. While the dough rests, it will soften and reach max stretchability. If you need a visual guide on how to pull the noodles, make sure to check out my IG for a tutorial!

A little sizzle sauce

Hand pulled noodles are often paired with a braised spiced meat like lamb, but if I’m feeling extra lazy I’ll just toss the noodles with chili crisp and splash of Chinese black vinegar. But just a few steps up from super lazy sauce is a little sizzle sauce. I like to add a little drama to my food. This technique of sizzling aromatics and spices is typically seen as a final touch on whole steamed fish or a cold tofu dish, but you can add a little sizzle to anything. What goes into your sizzle is also up to you. I normally like to include the trifecta of ginger, garlic, and green onion. For spice I have chili flakes and for a peppery kick we have, well, peppercorns. A mix of black and Sichuan peppercorn provide depth and that tingly sensation. Cumin lends earthiness and reminds me of Xi’an. Lemon zest is by far the least traditional addition to the sizzle, but I love the brightness it lends to an overall rich and savory dish.

Top your noodles with a little bit of everything and then pour a few tablespoons of hot oil and enjoy the ASMR sizzle. Add a splash of soy sauce, give it a mix, and dig in.

Turmeric hand pulled noodles with a little sizzle

serves 2 to 4

---

Dough:

300g (2 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour, extra for dusting

1 tsp turmeric powder

170g (3/4 cup) warm water

Neutral oil, for brushing

A Little Sauce (proportions are flexible):

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp sichuan peppercorns

1 tsp flaky salt

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp minced ginger

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 tsp Red chili flake

1 tbsp soy sauce

1. In a large bowl, whisk to combine flour and turmeric powder. Add water and mix with a flexible spatula to form a shabby dough. Start kneading by hand and continue to knead until you have a smooth-ish dough ball, about 5 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or in a bowl with a cover and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. Knead the dough for another 5 minutes, until very smooth, and then cover and allow to rest for another 15 minutes.

2. Roll out the dough into 1/2” thick oval. Cut the dough into 6 equal strips. Brush a plate or quarter baking sheet with oil. Place the dough on the grease surface and brush both sides of the dough with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for at least 2 hours at room temperature.

3. Fill a large pot a little over halfway with water.

4. Dust your work surface with a little flour. Place a piece of dough on the counter. Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand. Press a chopstick along the center of your dough (lengthwise), be careful not to cut through the dough. Hold on to either end of the dough with your hands and then start stretching out the dough while simultaneously slapping the dough against the counter (this takes a little practice!). The noodle should stretch to about 3’ long. Tear the noodle apart along the groove you made with the chopstick. For extra long noodles, keep one end intact. Immediately place the noodle in the boiling water and cook until chewy and floating to the surface, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the noodle to a colander and repeat this process with remaining pieces of dough.

5. Portion the noodles into individual bowls. In a mortar and pestle, combine cumin and peppercorns and finely crush. Sprinkle the spices, to your liking, over the noodles. Top each bundle of noodles with salt, lemon zest, ginger, garlic, green onions, chili flake, and red chili flake. Add a splash of soy sauce to each bowl.

6. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Once hot, carefully pour a little oil over the noodles so the spices and aromatics sizzle. Mix the noodles and enjoy!