Biang Biang Mian (Xi'an Hand-Pulled Belt Noodles with Chili Oil)

Name: Biang Biang Mian (Xi'an Hand-Pulled Belt Noodles with Chili Oil)
Prep time: 65 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: all-purpose flour 300 g; water 150 ml; salt 1 tsp; chili flakes 2 tbsp; minced garlic 1 tbsp; soy sauce 2 tbsp; black vinegar 1 tbsp; cooking oil 3 tbsp

Quick answer

Total time: 80 min
Level: Hard
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Wide ribbons of hand-stretched dough, slapped against the counter as they lengthen, come to the bowl with chili flakes and garlic piled in the middle.

Oil heated to just short of smoking is poured over that pile, cooking the garlic and chili on contact, while soy sauce and vinegar underneath turn it into a sharp, savory dressing. With all-purpose flour, resting does more of the work than kneading, and a strip that shrinks back or tears needs more time under cover, not a harder pull. The broad, thin ribbons get stirred the moment they hit the boiling water, before they can stick to each other.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Mix 300g all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon salt, then add 150ml water gradually while bringing the dough together.

When no dry flour remains, knead for about 8 minutes until the surface looks smoother and elastic.
2

Cover the dough and rest it at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.

It should feel soft when pressed, because under-rested dough resists stretching and tears easily during pulling.
3

Divide the dough into long oval pieces about finger thickness.

Take a small amount from the measured 3 tablespoons oil and brush a thin film over each piece, then cover and rest for 15 more minutes. Reserve the remaining oil for the final dressing.
4

Bring plenty of water to a rolling boil, then hold both ends of a dough strip and slap it lightly against the counter while stretching. Do not pull too hard; aim for a long, wide ribbon shape.
5

Drop the stretched noodles into boiling water and stir immediately to separate them.

Start checking after 2 to 3 minutes: cut the thickest section and make sure no firm, white raw dough remains in the center. Thicker noodles need longer before draining.
6

Place the cooked noodles in a heat-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon black vinegar.

Mound the chili flakes and minced garlic in the center. Heat the oil left after coating the dough in a small pan until just before smoking, then turn off the heat. Set the bowl on a stable work surface, carefully pour the oil over the chili and garlic, and toss well.