Vegan Zha Jiang Mian
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salty bean paste
- 2 tablespoons of spicy black bean paste (optional; adjust sweet sauce if skipped)
- 4 tablespoons of sweet bean paste
- 1/2 cup ShaoXing wine or water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms (mini King oyster mushrooms used)
- 10 oz firm tofu, mashed
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
- 1 leek, white and green parts separated, chopped
- Noodles of choice
- Shredded cucumber and carrot
Preparation
Place all the pastes in a large mixing bowl and mix with ShaoXing wine until well-combined.
In a large non-stick pan with about 1/2 cup of oil (more if needed), add in the chopped onion and green parts of the leek. Cook over low-medium heat until they turn brown. Remove the onion and leek, and reserve the oil for cooking.
Using the same pan, cook mashed tofu until golden brown. Then, add in the mushrooms and cook until aromatic.
Stir in the sauce and turn the heat to low. Cook while stirring constantly to prevent burning until the oil starts to separate from the mixture. Season with sugar and stir in the chopped leek (white part).
To assemble, cook noodles as directed and place them in a serving bowl. Ladle a tablespoon of sauce over (more depending on servings) and serve with shredded cucumber and carrot. Refrigerate the remaining sauces (good for up to a week).