Substitutes:
In addition to the standard version with alkaline noodles, hot dry noodles—known in Chinese as Re Gan Fen ()—can also occasionally be served with rice noodles. Therefore, it’s a perfect gluten-free substitute (in this instance, make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce).
Another substitute is spaghetti. Italian pasta may seem out of place in a traditional Chinese dish, but it actually works quite well. Although it doesn’t have an alkaline flavor, spaghetti has a similar appearance, color, and texture.
Chinese noodle dishes come in a variety of delicious forms, including soups, fried noodles, and noodle salad. This particular one is from the province of Hubei, where my husband was born. It is listed officially as one of China’s top ten most well-known noodles. As a matter of interest, the other nine varieties of noodles are: Beijing fried sauce noodles, Knife cut noodles, Henan stewed noodles, Lanzhou hand pulled noodles, Hangzhou Pian’er noodles, Sichuan Dan Dan noodles, Kunshan Aozao noodles, Zhenjiang Pot Cover noodles (), and Jilin cold noodles. These top ten noodles were formally chosen from more than 3000 different varieties of noodles. But eaters have their own ranking.
Although the ratio and consistency of the sesame paste are important, this noodle appears to be quite simple. It would be very challenging to combine if the sesame paste were too dry. However, if there is too much water, the noodles won’t be at all dry. Sesame paste should completely stick to the noodles. We have cold noodles made in the Sichuan style (), which use very similar ingredients and seasonings. But with different seasoning ratio, the noodles present different tastes.
Chinese speakers refer to Wuhan noodles as Hot and Dry Noodles (), primarily describing the texture. The main seasoning is tuned sesame paste. Additionally, we frequently garnish with picked spicy radish from Hubei and occasionally with pickled long Chinese green beans. We celebrate Spring Festival with my husband’s parents every year. And right beneath our building, a bowl of hot, dry noodles is our favorite breakfast food.
The noodles called for Wuhan noodles is called alkaline noodles(碱面). Alkaline noodles are less time-sensitive and very well-liked in the province of Szechuan as well. It can be replaced by spaghetti if unavailable.
HOW TO MAKE GOOD PORK AND SHRIMP WONTONS FROM SCRATCH
1. Use both pork and shrimp I grew up with wontons made with both pork and shrimp and I found that this combination is really tasty. I use equal weights of pork and shrimp in the recipe, but you can adjust to less pork and more shrimp if you prefer. 2. Egg yolk and cornstarch The addition of egg yolk and cornstarch will give you a soft tender filling inside and they act as a binder at the same time 3. A bit of sugar I don’t use MSG in my cooking and so mom often tells me that adding a bit of sugar in cooking actually helps to bring out flavor in the food, just like how salt does 4. Do not overmix the filling You want to mix the filling thoroughly with other ingredients, but try not to overmix and make the filling all tough
5. Marinate Let the filling rest and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator or overnight if you prepare ahead. This will enhance the flavor of the filling. 6. Bigger is not always better While I love myself large succulent wontons, I’ve learned that if you put too much filling inside the wonton wrapper, the filling may not be cooked through while the wonton wrapper is already turning soggy from all the boiling.
7. Push the air out As you wet the edges of the wonton wrapper to seal with water, push the air out as much as you can. This will give you a nice and tight looking wontons once they are boiled
8. Pinch to seal The last thing you want is to have your filling dislodge from the wonton. Really use your fingers to pinch the edges to seal properly
FAQ
What is dry noodle?
As opposed to most other Asian-style hot noodle dishes, which typically contain the noodles in a broth, hot dry noodles have an 80-year history in Chinese cuisine. They are the most significant, well-known, and well-liked breakfast item in Wuhan, and street carts and eateries in commercial and residential areas frequently sell them.
How do you make dry moms noodles?
In Taiwan, one of the best brands is Mom’s Dry Noodles. Noodles should be cooked for 4 to 5 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Add the seasonings from the package after draining the noodles from the pot. Only add the amount of seasoning that suits your taste after thoroughly blending.
How do you make dry stir fry noodles?
The noodles should be completely drained before being spread out on a baking sheet or piece of parchment paper to dry for 30 minutes. This removes any excess moisture and promotes even cooking. Additionally, when you deep fry the noodles, they won’t sputter as much.
