I’m going to teach you how to become a Shaanxi noodle master, or close to it, in just a few minutes. But first, let’s go on a knife sliced noodle journey. Shaanxi is known for its hand-cut noodles. Pro noodle chefs can hoist a large block of dough over their shoulders and vigorously filet consistent lengths of noodle straight into a pot of boiling water. Zhi Suqin here says he can slice enough for three bowls a minute!
Luckily, Shaanxi has another lesser-known noodle specialty called scissor-cut noodles. They’re basically the toddler version of these beautiful knife-sliced dream carbs and can be made successfully by regular people like you and me.
All you need to do is prep a smooth dough of flour, water and salt, rest it for 15 minutes then cut slices off into a pot of boiling water. Once they float, the noodles are done. You can stir-fry them, add them to a soup or top with some chilli oil for a quick dinner.
The noodles are chewy but still toothsome and remind me a little of these .
How to make scissor noodles
The amount of water might vary a bit depending on the humidity and temperature. Source: Camellia Aebischer
For two people, take 200 g plain flour, ½ tsp salt and 120 g water. Knead to form a firm dough. Cover and rest at room temp for 15 minutes and knead once more until the dough is smooth and free of lumps.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to boil.
Flatten the dough to about the thickness of your thumb. In one hand hold the dough over a pot of water and in the other use scissors to slice thin lengths of dough off, rotating as needed.
If you’re doubling the recipe for four, you may want to do this in two batches.
Once the noodles float, drain and briefly rinse them with a little cold water to stop sticking. Serve as you please.
I tossed mine through 2 tbsp each of chilli oil and soy sauce plus 1 tsp black vinegar (rice wine would work) and added some sliced spring onion.
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The luxury of a fresh homemade noodle on a weeknight timeframe. Source: Camellia Aebischer
