Authentic Red Bean Hand-Pulled Noodles: A Rich and Smooth Taste to Bring Good Luck on Dongzhi Festival!
Authentic Red Bean Hand-Pulled Noodles: A Rich and Smooth Taste to Bring Good Luck on Dongzhi Festival!
As Dongzhi Festival approaches, invite good fortune with a warm bowl of red bean hand-pulled noodles! Learn how to easily make delicious red bean hand-pulled noodles at home using a pressure cooker and blender.
Today, to celebrate the upcoming Dongzhi Festival, we’ll be making a delightful red bean hand-pulled noodle soup, featuring a rich, deep red bean flavor and tender noodles. 🙂 Using a blender and pressure cooker makes it easy to cook the beans until perfectly soft and blend them smoothly for an exceptional taste.
Red Bean Hand-Pulled Noodles Ingredients- 2 cups red beans (approx. 300g)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (for noodle dough, approx. 250g)
- 1 large egg
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1000ml fresh water (for cooking beans, blending, and dough)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare 2 cups of red beans. Rinse the beans thoroughly under running water several times, then drain them well in a sieve, allowing them to dry completely. Wash them gently to avoid breaking the beans.
Step 2
Red beans can sometimes have a slightly bitter component, so it’s best to boil them once and discard the water. Place the washed red beans in a pot with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, continue for about 1-2 minutes, then drain the beans and discard the cooking water. This step helps remove any astringency.
Step 3
Now, it’s time to use the pressure cooker. Put the blanched red beans back into the pressure cooker along with another 4 cups of water. Close the lid securely. Select the ‘steam’ or ‘boil’ function if available, and cook for 50 minutes according to your pressure cooker’s instructions. The pressure cooker will ensure the beans become wonderfully tender.
Step 4
While the beans are cooking, let’s make the noodle dough. In a bowl, add 2 cups of flour and create a well in the center. Crack in 1 large egg, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt for seasoning the dough. Adding cooking oil will make the dough softer and easier to handle.
Step 5
First, lightly mix the ingredients with your hands, then gradually pour in 80ml of fresh water while starting to knead the dough. The amount of water might vary slightly depending on the flour’s consistency, so add it gradually rather than all at once.
Step 6
Once the dough comes together into a ball, knead it with your hands until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes. After kneading, place the dough in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, and let it rest at room temperature for about 2 hours. This resting period is crucial for making the noodles chewy and tender.
Step 7
After 50 minutes, check if the red beans are tender by piercing them with a chopstick; they should yield easily. While the beans are still hot, transfer them directly to a blender. Add some of the reserved water (about 200-300ml) and blend until very smooth and creamy. Achieving a lump-free, silky red bean paste is key.
Step 8
Pour the smoothly blended red bean paste into a pot. Add the remaining fresh water (about 700-800ml) to reach a total of 1000ml of water used from the blender onwards. Stir the red bean paste and water together to achieve the desired soup consistency.
Step 9
Place the pot over medium heat. Season the red bean soup. If you prefer a sweeter taste like commercial red bean soup, you can add sugar. However, here we’re enhancing the natural flavor of the beans with 1 tablespoon of salt for a savory depth. Adjust the salt to your preference. Once the soup begins to boil vigorously, it’s time to add the noodles.
Step 10
As the red bean soup simmers, skim off any foam that rises to the surface with a spoon. Removing the foam results in a cleaner, clearer broth. Regularly skimming the foam will enhance the overall flavor and appearance of your red bean hand-pulled noodles.
Step 11
Once the red bean soup is boiling again, take out the rested noodle dough. Pinch off small pieces of dough, flatten them into bite-sized pieces (about 2-3 cm), and drop them one by one into the boiling red bean soup. Make sure they aren’t too thick, so they cook through and become tender.
Step 12
After adding all the noodles, stir gently with a spatula to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes. The noodles are cooked when they float to the surface. Your delicious red bean hand-pulled noodle soup is ready, with its delightful combination of chewy noodles and rich, smooth red bean broth! Serve immediately while hot.
