Re Gan Mian and Dou Pi recipes?

[DaveyDave]

Hey guys, 

Anyone know the recipes for Re Gan Mian and Dou Pi? I had it when i was at Wuhan during my summer vacation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re_gan_mian

It was delicious and i kept thinking about it. 

I would literally buy a huge container full and would it those for the rest of the day, everyday while i was at Wuhan. 

 

The shishkebabs they had in Wuhan was delicious too, i think it was called yan ro shuang. 

[Guest realmayo]

From the wikipedia article, how about: http://www.instructables.com/id/Hot-and-Dry-Noodles-Re-Gan-Mian-/?ALLSTEPS  ?

 

Actually I think I'll try that one myself! I miss reganmian more than any other Chinese food. My main concern would be getting the seasame sauce to taste right.

 

Doupi -- no idea how to make that but I agree, tasty stuff too.

[abcdefg]

The shishkebabs they had in Wuhan was delicious too, i think it was called yan ro shuang.

 

Yang rou chuan 羊肉串。

[jsalinas]

Ahhh reganmian, we love it so much we've tried to home-make it even whilst living IN Wuhan, in preparation of the sad sad day when there shall be no more.

And we failed.

Maybe we're just not great cooks? Sesame paste, check (freshly pressed, did anybody else think it was peanut sauce? Or was that just me?), exact noodles they use (the precooked ones from any noodle place), check, little pickled carrots, check, soup base, check.

Maybe it's the soup base? I've noticed the sesame paste is made into some sort of sauce, maybe seasoned? I'm shy to ask, don't want them to think I'm stealing trade secrets!

By theway, what I'd really like to recreate are Lanzhou style dishes… any suggestions on spices?

[abcdefg]

By the way, what I'd really like to recreate are Lanzhou style dishes… any suggestions on spices?

 

Here's my technique. Sometimes it works better than others. Hopefully you can adapt it to your own situation. At the very least, it's a good way to practice "street-level" Chinese language.

 

1. Go to a place that makes the item you would like to reproduce. It helps if you have been before so that they already know you. Take photos and ask a few questions.

2. Make prints of the best snapshots. Costs 1 Yuan each for approximately 5" x 7" at a neighborhood printing shop. They can do it from an SD card or from a USB key.

3. Return to the noodle shop and give them the snapshots. After that, you can ask deeper questions about seasonings and such.

4. Usually I then go straight home and try to make whatever it is. Usually look up some background on the Chinese internet.

5. After first attempt, return to the shop with questions: "I tried this at home, but it came out too ___. What do you think I did wrong?"

6. Sometimes I show them some of my ingredients in case I bought wrong at the market. Sometimes I've even taken them some of my finished product to taste and critique.

 

[imron]

Go to a place that makes the item you would like to reproduce. It helps if you have been before so that they already know you. Take photos and ask a few questions. Pretend you are just a simple tourist for the day.

Another thing that works at smaller places if you have been somewhere a few times and they know you, is simply to ask them to teach you.  I spent several weeks getting up at 6am to knead dough at a local pulled noodle place learning first to knead and then later to pull noodles.  As a bonus, I was given a noodly breakfast for free.

[jsalinas]

That could work? I suppose its just a matter of getting over the shyness Thank you!

[abcdefg]

Imron's method would be even better. I found a stall that would let me wash up and try stuffing 包子 when they weren't busy.

 

Seems to me that some of these places welcome the casual foreign "apprentice" and others don't. Not surprising really. I never force the issue. And if the chemistry isn't right, I just move on.

 

But the photography seemed to break the ice. It also allowed me to give them something back (the printed snapshots.)

[imron]

That could work?

Are you regulars at a place where you buy this?  Tell them you're going home and you're going to miss your favourite food and can they please teach you.  The worse thing they can do is say no, in which case you're no worse off than you are now.  Best case is you get a super recipe and cooking practice.

[Kolbe loves 凉面]

 

 

This is my first attempt at reganmian.  I came out decently, but not quite the same.  The thing I found wrong with mine is the proportions of ingredients.  I decided to put way too much garlic in (love garlic btw).

 

As for the ingredients, just some egg noodles (but cook them for only a couple minutes), sesame sauce 芝麻酱 as well as sesame oil 香油, vinegar 醋, and a chinese brand of chili sauce laoganma 老干妈.  This seems to be the most basic, you can any other extra things to it as well, such as green onion, garlic or whatever.