Cumin Beef Biang Biang Noodles

Biang biang noodles is a Chinese dish originating from the Shaanxi province in China. It’s called “biang biang” as it refers to the distinctive sound made by slapping and stretching the noodles during preparation. These noodles are served with aromatic cumin-spiced beef or lamb, but you can enjoy it with any protein you like as well.

ingredients:

noodle dough (this serves 3-4 people):

240g plain flour

135ml room temperature water

¼ tsp salt

3 tbsp vegetable oil

cumin beef stir-fry:

200g ground beef

½ red onion, sliced

1 inch ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp oyster sauce

½ tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp cumin powder

¼ tsp white pepper powder

toppings and sauce (for 1 serving):

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp light soy sauce

½ tbsp black vinegar

½ tbsp chilli oil

1 green onion, chopped

¼ cup coriander, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

½ tsp sichuan peppercorn powder 

½ tsp salt

2 pak choi (or any leafy vegetables of your choice)

steps:

to make the noodle dough:

1. In a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt and water. Combine the mixture with your hands or chopsticks. Make sure to gradually add water and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
2. Use your hands to knead the dough into a ball. Knead for 5 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes with a wet towel covered over the bowl, then continue to knead for another 15 minutes until the surface of the dough is smooth and elastic. 
3. Roll out the dough and portion out 6 pieces in the shape of logs. Roll the dough pieces in vegetable oil, place them on a plate and cover it with cling film. Let it rest for 1 hour.

cook the beef:

1. Combine the ground beef with marinade ingredients and marinate for at least 20 minutes. 
2. In a pan over medium-high heat, add vegetable oil, then add sliced red onions and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until softened. Then add minced garlic and ginger. Fry until fragrant. 
3. Then add the beef. Stir-fry the beef for 3-5 minutes until cooked, using a spatula to break up the pieces. Set aside. 

‘biang’ the noodles + serve:

1. Take one dough piece, flatten it with your hand or rolling pin. Using the back of a knife or chopstick, make a horizontal indent in the centre. Take both sides of the dough and gently pull. Then smack against the counter a few times while gently pulling. 
2. With a few slaps, the dough should be around 60cm long. Then, pull the noodles apart lengthwise from the centre.
3. Cook all the noodle pieces in a pot of boiling water for around a minute (longer if your noodles are extra thick). The noodles are ready when they float. Transfer the noodles to a bowl. Add pak choi to boil for 30 seconds.
4. In a heatproof bowl, serve noodles, pak choi and cooked beef. To layer on top, add chopped green onion, coriander, minced garlic, chilli powder, sichuan peppercorn powder, cumin and white pepper. Pour in hot oil directly on the toppings. Then add light soy sauce, black vinegar, and chilli oil. 
5. Toss and mix the noodles. Enjoy!

tips:

1. Use plain or all-purpose flour. Biang biang noodles traditionally use high-gluten flour or bread flour, but plain/ AP flour is also good to create the chewy texture of these noodles!
2. Allow the dough to rest. Resting the dough is an essential step, as it allows for gluten development, resulting in a chewy texture. It also allows the dough to relax, making it easier to roll and stretch later on.
3. ‘Biang’ing the noodles. Hold each end of the dough piece, then gently pull and stretch whilst slapping on the counter. Once you feel the noodle start to thin out, pull the noodles apart from the centre (the indent created by the chopstick helps with separating the dough piece).

check out more noodle recipes!

• Gochujang Pork Belly Noodles
• Hong Kong Style Dan Dan Noodles
• Bibimmyeon (Korean Spicy Cold Noodles)

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