Cheats Tan Tan Noodles

I wanted to share a recipe I saw for Tan tan noodles (also can be called Dan dan) on momofukufor2 because I made them tonight and... they taste SO good! Huge hit in our house! Spicy and tasty, filling and delicious! A big steaming bowl is perfect to eat on a dark, cold night and, especially good if you're suffering from a cold too! I think they are originally a Sichuan noodle dish but have now spilled over into different cultures. It's pretty much like a Sichuan simple ramen.

These passed the Dad taste test. He is notorious for pulling a very specific face and shaking his head when you ask him if he likes something and doesn't. On the flip side, I have inherited his trait of nodding to myself while eating if I enjoy it. This is the reaction these received, thus, seal of approval!

The original recipe makes the soup stock from scratch, but we all know I love to cheat so I just use a packet of instant noodles and make the soup base using the sachet of seasoning that you get with them. My current favorite noodles are actually Nigerian chicken ones from Tesco called IndoMie but you can use any brand from the international aisle, with the exception of super noodles as they just won't work!

You'll need:

(Serves 4)

500g pork mince
1/2 white onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 red chilli (or more depending how hot you like it!)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soya sauce
4 packets of instant chicken noodles
Spring onions
Salt & Pepper to taste

1) Finely chop your onion and using a garlic press, mince your cloves of garlic.

2) In a wok or frying pan, heat up 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil on a medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until soft.

3) Add in the pork mince and cook until there is no pink left. At this stage, take a large saucepan and add in 750ml of water and bring to the boil. Add in the stock base that comes with the noodles and the noodles into the water**

4) Into your pork mince, add in the chilli, sesame oil, soya sauce and salt and pepper. Give it a taste and add a little extra of the seasoning if required.

5) By this time your noodles should be cooked so transfer the noodles and some of the soup stock into bowls.

6) Top the noodles with the pork mince and add a handful of chopped spring onions on top.

Enjoy and also check out the other recipes on momofukufor2 too! Mmmmmmmmm.

**Check the back of your packet of noodles for exact water qualities required.