“Sichuan peppercorns add a touch of floral heat to this mushroom-and-cabbage-loaded riff on dan dan noodles. Look for protein-rich vegetarian seitan—processed wheat gluten with a meaty texture— near refrigerated tofu in large supermarkets or natural-foods stores. The actual weight of the seitan in a package varies depending on whether water weight is included. Look for the undrained weight on the label. ”
Ingredients
- 12 ounces buckwheat noodles
- 8 ounces water-packed seitan
- 4 scallions
- 4 cups sliced napa cabbage
- 3 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (1½ cups sliced)
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil, divided
- 1½ tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon toasted ground Sichuan peppercorns (see Tips) or ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth
- ¼ cup Chinese sesame paste (see Tips) or tahini
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (see Tips)
- 1¼ teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons hot chile oil
- ⅓ cup dry-roasted unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped
Directions
- 1Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse well.
- 2Meanwhile, rinse seitan, drain well and pat dry. Slice into ½-inch strips. Finely chop scallion whites; coarsely chop the greens and set aside. Combine the whites, cabbage and mushrooms in a large bowl and place near the stove.
- 3Heat a 14-inch flat-bottom carbon-steel wok or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon peanut (or canola) oil and swirl to coat. When the first puff of smoke appears, add seitan; cook, stirring, until somewhat crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Reduce heat to medium and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until very fragrant but not browned, 10 to 20 seconds. Add the cabbage mixture and cook, stirring, until the cabbage is wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved seitan and sprinkle with pepper. Remove from heat.
- 4Combine broth, sesame paste (or tahini), soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and chile oil in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring to thoroughly mix, until steaming hot but not boiling. Remove from heat.
- 5Add the noodles to the cabbage mixture and gently toss to combine. Transfer to a large shallow serving bowl. Pour the sauce over the noodles. Top with cashews and the reserved scallion greens. Toss together at the table before serving.
- Most Asian markets carry the wonderfully pungent Sichuan peppercorns; they don't look like regular black or white peppercorns—they have a beautiful reddish-brown color and are cracked open as though they have exploded. To make ground Sichuan pepper, heat 1 tsp. peppercorns in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until darkened, fragrant and the first wisp of smoke appears. Quickly remove from heat. Grind into a powder in a mortar and pestle or place on a cutting board and gently crush with a rolling pin (1 tsp. whole peppercorns = about ¼ tsp. ground).
- Look for Chinese sesame paste—similar to tahini with a more prominent roasted-sesame flavor—in Asian markets.
- Dark soy sauce (sometimes called black soy sauce) is thicker than regular soy sauce, with a touch of sweetness. Look for it in Asian markets or make a substitute by combining a bit of regular soy sauce with a tiny bit of molasses.
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