We adapted our beloved meat-based dan dan noodle recipe to create a vegetarian version. We kept the noodle seasoning the same, but we changed the topping from minced pork (or minced turkey) to freeze-dried tofu crumbles and dried shiitake mushrooms. Here’s a breakdown of the topping and the noodles. 1) The topping: Inspired by Andrea Nguyen’s tips for vegetarian ma po tofu (https://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2014/02/vegetarian-mapo-tofu-recipe.html), we did the following: We took 8 oz frozen tofu (see this method here: https://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/189375793191/frozen-tofu-chunks-for-later-use-when-defrosted), defrosted to room temperature, then squeezed with paper towels to make bone dry before gently crumbling into smaller and larger crumbles. Second, we reconstituted 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, then gently removed most water (discarding the soaking liquid), cut off the stems, and then finely diced. We place both the tofu crumbles and diced mushrooms a medium mixing bowl, and then added ¾ tsp dark soy sauce, mixing gently. When it was time to cook, we added 1 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil to a large wok, heated the wok to medium high, then when the oil was hot, we added the tofu-mushroom mixture. Using oil spray from time to time, we sauteed the mixture until it became crispy, like browned minced pork. We then added 2 minced garlic cloves, 2-3 chopped scallions, and 1 Tbsp Sichuan preserved vegetable aka ya cai (which we rinsed and dried) and sauteed for another minute. Then we cut off the heat and stirred in ½ Tbsp tahini (a substitute for Chinese raw sesame paste). 2) Noodles: With one exception, we followed the same proportions and in the original dan dan noodle recipe here: https://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/174581645971/chinese-dan-dan-noodles-mix-1-tbsp-chili-oil The only change was we reduced the soy sauce from 1 Tbsp to 2 tsp, to make up for the ¾ tsp dark soy sauce added to the tofu/mushroom mixture. (Jan. 2020)
Source: Andrea Nguyen, author and teacher, Vietworldkitchen.com.
Cooking Adventures 