TJ Lee’s Taiwanese Sesame Cold Noodle
Full of crunchy textures and bursting flavors, these Taiwanese cold noodles take under 30 minutes to make.
Serves4
Prep20 minutes
Cook6 minutes
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When I was a young kid, my dad would come home and he’d bring two things: cold sesame noodles from 7-Eleven and a tea egg. It was always his gift to us. They come in these plastic boxes with the cold noodles, two sauce packets, and sliced cucumbers and you’d assemble it all together. I also used to get them at a stall that’s open super late at night, at like 2 or 3 a.m. When my friends and I were out and hungry at that time, we would go there to get a huge plate of these noodles for three dollars. You can’t beat it.
This dish has a lot of what I call crunchies — the carrots, the cucumbers — plus savoriness with the ham, egg, and sauce. Once you mix it all together, it becomes refreshing and light with a lot of textures going on between the noodles and crunch of all the vegetables. The sauce looks thick, but slides right off the noodles when you eat it.
Taiwanese Cold Noodles Recipe
Full of crunchy textures and bursting flavors, these Taiwanese cold noodles take under 30 minutes to make.
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 6 minutes
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the sesame dressing:
2 to 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup
plus 1 tablespoon Chinese sesame paste
- 1/2 cup
plus 1 tablespoon water, plus more as needed
- 3 tablespoons
soy sauce, plus more as needed
- 3 tablespoons
toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons
creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons
rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon
packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt, plus more as needed
For the noodles and toppings:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
vegetable oil
- 2
large eggs
Pinch kosher salt
- 1/4
medium English cucumber (about 3 ounces)
- 1
small carrot (about 2 1/2 ounces)
- 2 ounces
thinly sliced deli ham (about 2 slices)
- 7 ounces
Instructions
Make the sesame sauce:
Mince 2 to 3 garlic cloves until you have 1 teaspoon. Place in a medium bowl and add 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sesame paste, 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk until smooth.
Make the noodles and toppings:
Whisk 2 large eggs with a pinch of salt with a fork in a small bowl until well blended. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat until shimmering. Pour in the eggs in and tilt the pan to create a thin layer. Cook until the egg is set and crêpe-like with little to no browning, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into thirds. Stack the portions and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide matchsticks. Transfer to a plate.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, prepare the following, placing each on the plate of eggs as you complete it (you should get about 1/2 cup each): Cut 1/4 English cucumber lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick planks, then stack a few planks and cut lengthwise again into 1/4-inch-wide matchsticks; peel and cut 1 small carrot into thirds crosswise, then cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick planks, and finally cut the planks into 1/8-inch-wide matchsticks; cut 2 ounces sliced ham into 1/4-inch-wide matchsticks that are about 2 inches long.
Add 7 ounces dried Kuan Miao noodles to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water, then drain well again. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add about 2/3 of the sauce to the noodles and toss to combine, adding 1 tablespoon water if needed to loosen the sauce. Add all the toppings and toss to combine. Taste and season with more sauce, kosher salt, or soy sauce as needed.
Recipe Notes
Noodles: You can use other Asian dried wheat noodles here; cook according to package directions before using.
Make ahead: The sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Let come to room temperature and stir before using.
Storage: Leftover cold noodles can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.