Da Lu Mian (打卤面), commonly known as “Northern Chinese Gravy Noodles,” is a classic hearty dish from Northern China in which a rich, thick sauce is ladled over noodles.
The sauce typically combines ingredients such as pork, mushrooms, lily buds, and eggs, and is given its characteristic consistency through the addition of starch.
Long a beloved and affordable everyday meal in Beijing and the surrounding region, it carries symbolic significance as a birthday food representing long life!
Inspired by a Recent Trip to Beijing
Bill and I recently visited Beijing, where we ate at a 2-Michelin star vegetarian restaurant near Lama Temple. They served dish dish, and it was delicious and beautifully presented. I was inspired to share a classic version on the blog. There are many different iterations—tomato egg versions, some with shrimp, etc.—but I kept it very classic here.
Our recipe, like many home-cooked versions across Northern China, includes pork belly. But just know that like our hot and sour soup, you can make it with and without animal protein.
(Doesn’t this gravy sauce look a lot like your favorite hot and sour soup, but thicker? If you’ve made our hot and sour soup, you can make this gravy noodle; the process is somewhat similar.)
You can also use dark meat chicken instead of pork, but since it is traditionally made with pork belly, I stuck with the pork belly here.
I hope you try this classic cherished dish!
Recipe Notes:
Unlike flour-based gravies, cornstarch-thickened gravies like this one can lose their thickness once cooled. Try not to make too much gravy, as the consistency of the leftover sauce will not be the same. If you are only serving two or three people, for instance, it is best to cut the recipe in half.
You can also pour this gravy base over rice. If using noodles, it is best to use fresh noodles, as they absorb more sauce. That said, if you can find the dried wavy ribbon noodles that I used here, those are ideal as well.
Da Lu Mian: Recipe Instructions
Rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms, then soak them in 1½ cups of water for a few hours (or overnight) until completely softened. In two separate bowls, soak the wood ear mushrooms and dried lily flowers with plenty of water. Keep everything in the refrigerator if soaking overnight.
Rinse the pork belly, and add the whole piece to a medium pot along with 6 cups water, the ginger, 2 whole scallions, the star anise, and Shaoxing wine. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for about 30 minutes.
Poke the pork with a fork or chopsticks; it is done when the fork comes out easily. Remove the pork belly from the pot and let it cool on a plate. Remove the star anise and scallions from the pork stock, leaving the ginger slices behind, and set aside.
Meanwhile, squeeze the shiitake mushrooms dry, trim off any tough stems, and thinly slice. Save the mushroom soaking water. Rinse the wood ears and julienne them. Trim away the tough ends of the lily flowers, and cut each one in half.
In a wok over medium-low heat, add the oil and Sichuan peppercorns. Let the peppercorns infuse the oil for about 10 minutes and adjust heat to avoid burning. Turn off the heat, discard the Sichuan peppercorns, and transfer the infused oil to a heat-proof bowl to serve with the noodles later, leaving 1 tablespoon of oil behind in the wok.
Once the pork belly has cooled, cut it into bite-size slices. Add the slices to the wok over medium-high heat, and cook for 3-5 minutes until they start to release fat. Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes until fragrant.
Next, add the mushroom soaking water (avoid any sediment at the bottom of the bowl), the pork stock and ginger slices, the wood ears, and lily flowers. (If using a thick bottomed pot instead of a wok, use only 4 cups of the pork stock along with mushroom water). Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, and five spice powder (if using).
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes over medium-high heat. Bring a separate pot of water to a boil to cook the noodles.
Mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry, and with the soup mixture bubbling, stir it in. Drizzle in the beaten eggs in a large circle. Do not touch the eggs until cooked. Once the egg sets, stir in the raw garlic, chopped scallion, and salt. Mix well. (The sauce should be slightly salty as it will need to flavor the noodles.)
Boil the noodles according to package instructions. To serve, drain the noodles and divide them amongst 6-8 bowls. To serve, top with a large ladle of the gravy and drizzle with a couple teaspoons of the infused Sichuan peppercorn oil. Mix and enjoy!
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Recipe
Da Lu Mian (打卤面 – Northern Chinese Gravy Noodles)
Ingredients
- 6 cups water (plus more for soaking dried ingredients)
- 25 g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 10 g dried wood ear mushrooms
- 15 g dried lily flower
- 1 pound pork belly
- 3 slices of ginger (⅛-inch/3mm thick, 2 inches/5cm wide)
- 4 scallions (2 whole, 2 chopped; divided)
- 1 star anise
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ¼ cup neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 2½ tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon five spice powder (optional)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with ½ cup/120ml water)
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1¼ pound dried wheat noodles or 2 1/2 pounds/1200g fresh wheat noodles
Instructions
- Rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms, then soak them in 1½ cups of water for a few hours (or overnight) until completely softened. In two separate bowls, soak the wood ear mushrooms and dried lily flowers with plenty of water. Keep everything in the refrigerator if soaking overnight.
- Rinse the pork belly, and add the whole piece to a medium pot along with 6 cups water, the ginger, 2 whole scallions, the star anise, and Shaoxing wine. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for about 30 minutes. Poke the pork with a fork; it is done when the fork comes out easily. Remove the pork belly from the pot and let it cool on a plate. Remove the star anise and scallions from the pork stock, leaving the ginger slices behind, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, squeeze the shiitake mushrooms dry, trim off any tough stems, and thinly slice. Save the mushroom soaking water. Rinse the wood ears and julienne them. Trim away the tough ends of the lily flowers, and cut each one in half.
- In a wok over medium-low heat, add the oil and Sichuan peppercorns. Let the peppercorns infuse the oil for about 10 minutes and adjust heat to avoid burning. Turn off the heat, discard the Sichuan peppercorns, and transfer the infused oil to a heat-proof bowl to serve with the noodles later, leaving 1 tablespoon of oil behind in the wok.
- Once the pork belly has cooled, cut it into bite-size slices. Add the slices to the wok over medium-high heat, and cook for 3-5 minutes until they start to release fat. Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes until fragrant.
- Next, add the mushroom soaking water (avoid any sediment at the bottom of the bowl), the pork stock and ginger slices, the wood ears, and lily flowers. (If using a thick bottomed pot instead of a wok, use only 4 cups of the pork stock along with mushroom water). Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, and five spice powder (if using).
- Cover and simmer for 15 minutes over medium-high heat. Bring a separate pot of water to a boil to cook the noodles.
- Mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry, and with the soup mixture bubbling, stir it in. Drizzle in the beaten eggs in a large circle. Do not touch the eggs until cooked. Once the egg is set, stir in the raw garlic, chopped scallion, and salt. Mix well. (The sauce should be slightly salty as it will need to flavor the noodles.)
- Boil the noodles according to package instructions. To serve, drain the noodles and divide them amongst 6-8 bowls. To serve, top with a large ladle of the gravy and drizzle with a couple teaspoons of the infused Sichuan peppercorn oil. Mix and enjoy!
