Biăndòu mèn miàn (扁豆焖面), or steamed noodles and green beans, is a delicious noodle dish that you will only find on family tables rather than in restaurants. Steaming noodles makes them even chewier!
Note: This recipe was originally published in July 2015. We have since updated it with photos, metric measurements, and clearer data. nutritional information. The recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
A TREASURE RECIPE FROM ANOTHER FAMILY
We learned this recipe from our NO In Beijing. Do you remember her? It also helped us crisp up Chinese peanuts on the blog.
She saw us cooking and blogging on the weekends and suggested we post this dish, which was a favorite that she often made for her family. She showed us how it was done and we all agreed that it was a great success.
Biăndòu mèn miàn loosely translates to “green bean noodles cooked in a covered pot.” It’s a mouthful, I know.
But I can assure you of one thing, and that is that you will hardly find this dish of steamed noodles and green beans in restaurants. I have yet to see it on a menu anywhere, even in China.
What makes this recipe special
So, what’s so great about a green bean noodles recipe, you might ask…
Well, first of all, it’s super simple and very straight forward.
Secondly, the dish is prepared by steaming fresh tagliatelle, resulting in a deliciously chewy and “al dente” texture. The noodles are cooked with a great sauce, along with green beans and seared pork.
Of course, timing is everything, and with the abundance of green beans in my garden, I feel like now is the time to share this amazing recipe with everyone. We showed you how to prepare 焖饭(“men fan”) using a rice cooker and with today’s 焖面(men mian) your cooking will never be the same.
Feel free to adapt the recipe to your tastes, but remember one thing: this dish requires fresh noodles!
Recipe instructions
Start by mixing the meat with the marinade ingredients (soy sauce, corn starch, Shaoxing wine, white pepper). Set aside for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the components.
Prepare a steamer, making sure that no water comes into contact with the noodles during the steaming process. Check out our post on how to set up a steamer if you’re not familiar with steaming food in Chinese cooking.
Place a large sheet of baking paper on the steamer rack and place the fresh white (wheat) noodles loosely on the baking paper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, tossing the noodles lightly in the oil.
Steam for 10-12 minutes on high heat (this cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the noodles). Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat another 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the ginger and star anise and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the garlic, dried red chilies (if using) and shallots and sauté for a minute.
Now let’s add the pork…
…and turn the heat up to high. Sauté until pork is opaque.
Then spread the pork in a single layer on the surface of the wok to brown (30 seconds to a minute).
Add the green beans and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and sugar. Mix everything and add water. Place the steamed noodles on top of this mixture (do not stir) and cover with the lid. Cook for 5 minutes.
Discover the wok; you will see that the liquid in the wok has reduced slightly. Lower the heat and mix everything to coat the tagliatelle with the sauce.
The sauce should be absorbed into the noodles very quickly. Serve your Bian Dou Men Mian immediately.
This dish is truly unique and equally delicious!
Steamed Tagliatelle with Green Beans (Braised Lentil Noodles)
This steamed noodles and green bean recipe, or bian dou men mian, is a homemade dish you’ll only find on family tables, rather than in restaurants. Steaming makes the noodles chewy and very satisfying.
serve: 6
Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooked: 25 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
ingredients
For the rest of the dish:
Instructions
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Start by mixing the meat with the marinade ingredients and set aside for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Prepare a steamer, making sure that no water comes into contact with the noodles during the steaming process.
-
Place a large sheet of baking paper on the steamer rack and place the noodles loosely on it. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, tossing the noodles lightly in the oil. Steam for 10-12 minutes on high heat (this cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the noodles). Remove from heat and set aside.
-
Heat another 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the ginger and star anise and cook for 30 seconds. Add the garlic, chilies (if using) and shallots and sauté for a minute. Now add the pork and increase the heat to high. Sauté until pork is opaque. Then spread the pork in a single layer on the surface of the wok to brown (30 seconds to a minute).
-
Add the green beans and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and sugar. Mix everything and add water. Place the steamed noodles on top of this mixture (do not stir) and cover. Cook for 5 minutes.
-
Discover the wok. You will see that the liquid in the wok has reduced slightly. Lower the heat and mix everything to coat the tagliatelle with the sauce. The sauce should be absorbed into the noodles very quickly. Serve immediately.
nutritional values
Calories: 406kcal (20%) Carbohydrates: 50G (17%) Protein: 14G (28%) Fat: 16G (25%) Saturated fats: 4G (20%) Cholesterol: 27mg (9%) Sodium: 1016mg (42%) Potassium: 315mg (9%) Fiber: 4G (16%) Sugar: 6G (7%) Vitamin A: 630UI (13%) C vitamin: 11.1mg (13%) Soccer: 44mg (4%) Iron: 1.7mg (9%)
