Ja Jiang Mian ( Black bean noodles )

I got addicted to copious amount of this instant noodles when my hubby was outstation and so decided to abandon serious cooking for a while.

But at almost 500 calories for an instant meal with prepacked black sticky sauce and no meat, I know I was doing myself and my daughter a disservice. Some self reflection after wards, I decided to make the dish from scratch.

There are information galore at many Chinese websites on this dish and after considering the preferences of my family ( basically, kiddo and hubby ), I created this one with a conscience.

Friends thought this is Korean fare but the dish has northern Chinese roots. Whatever the region, taste is key and with an appropriate amount of cool shredded vegetables, this is sufficient to please the occasional guest who drop by.

For 4 :

1 kg cooked fat rice noodles
Beansprouts ( blanched ), pre-fried sliced mushrooms, shallots
Olive oil

Sauce :
1/2 cup garlic
500g minced pork
Sesame oil, sugar,Chinese gourmet wine,2 tab fermented beans-rinsed
Black bean sauce

Garnish :
Shredded Japanese cucumber, carrots

Prepare the sauce first by browning garlic in a wok with a suitable amount of oil.
Throw in the pork,beans and stir until cooked with no moisture.
Season with sesame oil, sugar, wine and 1/2 cup of black bean sauce. Add 1 cup of water. Leave to simmer for at least 10 minutes.
Note : taste constantly to adjust the amount of flavoring preferred. I start with small amount of sugar and continue adding until it tastes right. Do not add salt since most ingredients are salty to start with.

Meanwhile, blanch noodles, sprouts. Drain. Toss with pre-fried mushroom and shallots. Set aside until sauce is ready.

In individual bowls, ladle sauce over noodles and decorate with vegetables.

Picture that and drool!