Quick sesame chinese noodles
- Preparation 5 min
- Cooking 7 min
- Servings 4
- Freezing I do not suggest
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🍜 The quick Asian side dish that kicks ass
This recipe from my Tome 2 is an excellent fresh and easy recipe that goes with everything. Yet-Ca-Mein Chinese noodles cooked in 5 minutes, rinsed with cold water, then reheated 2 minutes with a signature toasted sesame seasoning. The result? An Asian side dish that takes 12 minutes total and transforms any grilled meat into an authentic Asian restaurant feast.
🥢 The 2-step method: cook, rinse cold, reheat
The secret of this recipe is the 2-step method that better infuses the flavors. You cook the noodles 5 minutes in boiling water, you rinse them with COLD water to stop cooking and remove starch (Asians have always done this. I don’t understand why Italians refuse), then you put back in the pot with toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, rice vinegar and soy sauce. You reheat 2 minutes while mixing. Just enough to make it warm, not to cook again. The removed starch allows the sauce to coat each noodle uniformly instead of sliding off.
🍤 A beautiful base to pimp however you want
This is exactly the kind of versatile recipe you want in your notebook. Serve as a side dish with my beef tataki with legendary orange sauce or my tuna tataki with sesame crust to push the sesame theme all the way, or transform into a main dish by adding sautéed shrimp, General Tso chicken, pulled pork or grilled tofu. The recipe keeps 2-3 days in the fridge and stays delicious warm or cold the next day. A splash of lime juice to wake it up and it’s completely insane in the head.
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🍜 Rinse noodles with cold water after cooking
This is the critical step that Asians always do and Italians stubbornly refuse. Cold water rinsing immediately stops cooking (no overcooking while you prepare the seasoning) and especially removes surface starch that would make the sauce slide off. Without this step, your sauce runs to the bottom of the bowl instead of coating the noodles.
🥢 2-step method: cook, rinse, reheat
Don’t skip the cold rinsing step before reheating. This is what allows the sauce to uniformly impregnate each noodle. The 2-minute reheating over medium heat is just to bring back to warm temperature. Not to cook again. If you cook too long at this step, the noodles become mushy.
🍝 Yet-Ca-Mein, ramen, soba, lo mein or rice noodles
My favorites are Yet-Ca-Mein noodles (oriental wheat), super tasty. You find them in all big box grocery stores in QC. Otherwise, you can replace with ramen, soba noodles, lo mein or rice noodles (for gluten-free version). Just follow cooking instructions on package. Times vary by type.
⏱️ Don’t overcook the noodles
The number one mistake with this recipe is cooking the noodles too long. Mushy and soft, they lose all their signature texture. 5 minutes for Yet-Ca-Mein is perfect, but check the package of your specific noodles.
🍋 Splash of lime juice to wake up
To push the recipe even further, add a splash of fresh lime juice when serving. The acidity awakens the umami flavors of sesame and soy, and gives additional freshness. Particularly delicious the next day to wake up leftovers.
🌶️ Spicy version
For heat lovers, add a splash of Sriracha or chili oil when serving. It transforms the recipe into something more elevated without changing the base.
🍤 Main dish variations: shrimp, chicken, pork or tofu
This recipe is an excellent base to pimp. Add sautéed shrimp 2-3 minutes before mixing the noodles with seasoning, General Tso sautéed chicken, pulled pork with hoisin sauce, or grilled firm tofu to transform into a complete main dish. It’s the side dish that becomes the dish itself.
♨️ Leftovers warm or cold. Both work
This recipe keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. You can eat it warm (reheat in pan 1-2 minutes with a splash of water to loosen) or cold directly from the fridge. Both versions are delicious. The cold version with a splash of fresh lime is particularly good as a summer lunch.
✅ What to serve with my quick sesame chinese noodles?
These noodles are the chameleon Asian side dish. Serve them with my Beef tataki with legendary orange sauce for a gourmet Asian combo, with my Tuna tataki with sesame crust to push the sesame theme all the way, with my Beef and broccoli noodles stir fry (for double noodles lovers!) or with my Asian soba noodle salad for a complete Asian meal.
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Ingredients
- 375 g (three quarters of a 500 g package) Yet-Ca-Mein noodles (oriental wheat noodles)
- Vegetable oil, for coating
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) sesame seeds
- ½ tbsp (8 ml) rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce, plus for serving
- 1 green onion, finely sliced (for serving)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
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Preparation
- In a large pot filled with boiling water, cook the noodles 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse abundantly with cold water to stop cooking and remove starch. Drain well and drizzle with a thin stream of vegetable oil. Mix to prevent noodles from sticking together.
- Put the noodles back in the pot over medium heat. Add toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, rice vinegar and soy sauce. Salt and pepper. Drizzle with a thin stream of additional vegetable oil and cook while mixing 2 minutes only. Just to reheat, NOT to cook again.
- Serve immediately, garnished with sliced green onion and an additional splash of soy sauce to taste.
Cold water rinsing immediately stops cooking (noodles don’t soften while you prepare seasoning) and especially removes surface starch that would make the sauce slide off. Without this step, the sauce runs to the bottom of the bowl instead of coating the noodles. Asians always do it for this precise technical reason.
It’s generally called “nouilles chinoises au sésame” in Quebec and Canada. In authentic Chinese cuisine, we sometimes speak of “ma jiang mian” (麻醬麵) which refers to noodles with sesame sauce. On Asian restaurant menus, we also see them as “sesame noodles” or “sesame soba noodles” depending on the type of noodle used.
This recipe magnificently accompanies Asian dishes and grilled meats. Serve with my beef tataki with legendary orange sauce, my tuna tataki with sesame crust, general tao chicken, sautéed shrimp, pulled pork with hoisin sauce or grilled firm tofu. You can also eat them alone as a quick lunch.
Simply add a protein. Shrimp sautéed 2-3 minutes with garlic and ginger, general tao chicken, pulled pork with hoisin sauce, or grilled firm tofu. It’s the side dish that becomes the complete dish in less than 15 minutes total. You can also push the vegetable side by adding bean sprouts, steamed broccoli or snow peas.
Absolutely. Replace Yet-Ca-Mein noodles with rice noodles (100% gluten-free) and use tamari instead of regular soy sauce. Rice noodles cook faster (3-4 minutes only, follow package instructions). The rest of the recipe stays identical.
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