This dish is served at room temperature or slightly chilled for a slurp-worthy meal in the summertime. It takes 15 minutes to pull together – even less if the sauce is made in advance and kept ready in the fridge. Chinese sesame paste is similar to but not exactly the same as tahini. Chinese sesame paste is made from sesame seeds which have been toasted so it is much darker in colour and imbue dishes with stronger sesame aroma and flavour. It is a very common ingredient sold at Chinese grocery stores next to all the jarred sauces. If you can’t get your hands on Chinese sesame paste, substitute with tahini or even peanut butter. Nutty, creamy, savoury, spicy – these noodles are really satisfying on a hot day. The julienned cucumbers provide a refreshing crunch. If you want to embellish for a fulsome meal, serve alongside a simple plate of Chinese greens and jammy eggs for protein.
Note: I used fresh Chinese egg white noodles sold in the refrigerated section of a Chinese grocery store. If you can’t find that, substitute with any fresh or dry Asian-style wheat noodles such as dry Chinese wheat noodles, Chinese egg noodles, or even Japanese ramen noodles.
ingredients
Sesame sauce
Noodles
To serve
directions
For the sauce, in a mason jar or small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients well. Depending on thickness of sesame paste, you can add 1-2 tablespoon of water to thin until sauce consistency is pourable (like that of drinkable yogurt). Cover and refrigerate. The sauce can be made in advance and kept in well-sealed container or mason jar. Whisk well before using – you may need to add a splash of water to loosen after refrigeration.
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain in colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Shake off excess water and drain well. Toss with the sesame oil to prevent the noodles from sticking and place in serving dish.
To serve, pour sauce over noodles and toss to coat well.
Top with cucumbers and a generous sprinkle of roasted sesame seeds.
