I had never heard of tan tan noodles before until I saw them on a program called great British takeaways. It got really good reviews from the public who ate it so I just had to give it a go. I started some research and came across a really good recipe that used soy milk instead of coconut so I had to give this one a go. I absolutely love white miso paste so I had to use this in my soup base flavouring. It was delicious and beautifully light.

Ingredients

For the Pork

• 500g lean pork mince
• 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp black bean paste
• 1 tbsp kecap manis ( or 2 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp honey)
• 1 tsp garlic and ginger paste

For the Broth

• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sriracha
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp sugar

For the Noodles, Spinach and Topping

• 2 nest of egg noodles
• 1 bag washed spinach
• 1 tsp pure sesame oil
• Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 lime, halved
• 4 tbsp crispy shallots or peanuts

Directions

For the Pork

1. Add the pork to a bowl along with the ginger and mirin. Mix well and set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish.
2. In a bowl add the rest of the pork ingredients to a bowl and give it a whisk to combine, set aside.
3. When you are ready to cook the pork add some oil to a wok and heat until smoking. Add the pork and cook until browned and you have some crispy bits mine took about 7 minutes. Add in the black bean mix and give it a good stir so all the pork is coated.

For the Broth

1. Add the almond milk and stock to a pot. Heat on a medium heat until it’s warm to touch but not boiling, turn off the heat and put a lid on to keep it warm.
2. Add the rest of the broth ingredients and give a whisk to combine.
3. When your ready to serve the broth, stir in the miso mixture and gently heat again stirring all the time.

For the Noodles and Spinach

1. Add the noodles to a pan of boiling water and cook according to instructions mine took 4 minutes. Scoop out and put in a sieve leaving the water in the pan. Add the sesame oil to the noodles and give them a mix so they are all covered this will stop them from sticking together
2. In the same pan add the spinach leaves and wilt for 1 minute. Drain and put in a bowl of cold water until ready to serve.

To Serve

1. Share the cooked noodles between 2 bowls. Squeeze out the water from the spinach and tear between the 2 bowls.
2. Making sure the broth is hot pour over the noodles and spinach.
3. Reheat the pork on a high heat and place on top of the noodles. Sprinkle over the coriander, crispy shallots and serve with the lime. Enjoy 😊