Peanut noodles (spicy noodles)

Quick and easy peanut chilli oil noodles in 20 minutes

Bouncy noodles coated with a creamy and slightly spicy peanut sauce, this dish is beloved in Chinese cuisine. Hailing from Shaxian, China, they are not the same as dan dan noodles, despite what many may think. Dan dan noodles include minced pork in the peanut sauce, whereas Shaxian’s noodles can be topped with any protein and veggies that you enjoy. 

A great thing about this creamy chilli oil noodles recipe is that it’s easily whipped up whenever you need lunch or dinner in a pinch, and after you’ve made it a few times, you’ll know what flavours you like most and can adjust the seasonings to suit your specific taste. 

How to nail the peanut sauce for peanut butter noodles

Use smooth peanut butter for the chilli peanut noodles, either sweetened or unsweetened. If you find the sauce too spicy, sweet or salty for your liking, you can experiment with adjusting the ingredients. What you are aiming for is a sauce that has a creamy dressing consistency, so that it isn’t too thick when you try to toss the noodles in it later, and it has a slightly sweet and savoury, tangy taste with a little heat. 

Here’s how to whisk the sauce together to ensure it combines well and doesn’t end up grainy or clumpy. Whenever you are adding soy sauce, fish sauce or water to the peanut butter, add it as slowly as possible (almost like a trickle) and whisk your heart out the entire time. If you’re finding that oil is separating from the sauce, whisk in a small amount of water (a few drops at a time) until the sauce recombines. 

What alternative ingredients can you use for peanut chilli garlic noodles?

If you don’t want to use fish sauce, a good replacement would be Maggi seasoning sauce. If you prefer not to use peanut butter, you could try tahini. 

For an extra layer of complexity, why not substitute regular soy sauce with a teaspoon or two of dark soy sauce, kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) or oyster sauce? You can also add a teaspoon or two of Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar. Avoid balsamic or apple cider vinegar, as they will overpower the flavours of the dish. 

<H2> Try these peanut chilli noodles serving ideas

You’ll need to mix the noodles in the sauce right before serving or the sauce will thicken and end up gluggy and the noodles will not be completely coated. 

Serve the noodles with toppings to add texture and interest, like crunchy chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, spring onion, coriander, Chinese or Korean-style pickles, roasted seaweed, julienned carrots, chopped daikon, marinated bean sprouts, or strips of cabbage or capsicum. 

Some side dishes that will go well with the noodles include steamed or sautéed greens for freshness and contrast, such as bok choy, choy sum or Chinese broccoli. You can also serve it with almost any protein you’d like, such as prawns, shredded chicken, egg or tofu.