Sichuan jelly noodles (liang fen 凉粉) with chili oil sauce
Jade-colored liang fen (mung bean jelly noodles) anointed in a spicy, vinegary dressing and topped with crushed peanuts and julienned cucumber. Serve chilled as a snack or an elegant appetizer. Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
Scale
For the jelly noodles:
- ⅓ cup (50 grams) mung bean starch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large handful (3.5 ounces, 100 grams) fresh spinach
- 1 ⅔ cup (400 mL) water
For the chili oil sauce:
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (sub tamari if gluten-free)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon mushroom bouillon seasoning or MSG (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Chinkiang black vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons homemade chili oil, or lao gan ma chili crisp condiment
For serving:
- 1 small Persian cucumber or ½ hothouse cucumber, julienned
- 2 bird’s eye chiles, seeded and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup (35 grams) roasted or fried peanuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 scallion, green part only, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Blend the spinach with 1 ⅔ cup (400 mL) cold water, then strain and discard pulp. Prepare an 8 inch square baking pan or 8 x 4 inch glass container. In a small bowl, whisk together the mung bean starch, salt, and ⅔ cup cold water. Add the remaining 1 ⅓ cups water to a medium saucepan, and heat over medium heat for 2 minutes, until you can see small bubbles rising from the bottom of the pot. Add the slurry and stir continuously for about 2 minutes; it will begin to thicken rapidly.
- Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula, gently scraping the spatula across the bottom and sides of the pot. The clouded mixture will become translucent and glossy as you stir, about 1 minute. Do not bring the mixture to a full boil. Remove from heat.
- Use the spatula to scrape the jelly mixture into a rectangular pan or a medium bowl and tap a few times to eliminate any air bubbles. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until the jelly is completely opaque in color and has separated from the sides of the container (there will be a thin layer of water at the bottom).
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the soy sauce, sugar, stock, Chinkiang vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, and chili oil. Set aside.
- Slide the spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen the cooled jelly and invert onto a cutting board. Dip a sharp knife into water and cut the jelly into rectangular batons ½-inch by 4inch long, or thin noodles/ribbons. Stack or heap the jelly pieces in a serving dish and pour the sauce on top. Top with the cucumber, crushed peanuts, scallion, and chopped chilies, and mix together before eating. Serve chilled.