Last Updated on April 7, 2021 by Simon Fan
Shacha noodles are one of the most beloved noodle dishes from Xiamen (厦门, also known as Amoy), a beautiful coastal city in Fujian Province of China.
Xiamen locals seem to have an insatiable appetite for their shacha noodles, sold at countless noodle shops dotted throughout the city. Visitors to the city get hooked on these tasty noodles too once they’ve tried a bowlful.
What makes this noodle dish so intriguing is the rich broth made with shacha sauce (沙茶酱, also spelled sa cha sauce), a signature ingredient used in the local cooking. The creation of this sauce was inspired by satay sauce from Southeast Asia which was introduced to China by overseas Chinese. Umami-rich and intensely aromatic, shacha sauce is made from a long list of ingredients, including soybean oil, dried fish, dried shrimp, shallots, garlic, peanuts, sesame seeds, spices, chilies, salt, and sugar. Besides being used as a base for soup as in this dish, shacha sauce is also great as a barbeque sauce, as a seasoning for stir-fries and braises (such as braised chicken in shacha sauce), and as a dipping sauce.
Once you’ve made the broth with shacha sauce, you can add whatever you like to accompany the noodles. At the noodle shops in Xiamen, customers can choose from a wide range of options, such as squid, cuttlefish, fish balls, meatballs, organ meats (like pig’s stomach), various tofu products, and blanched leafy greens.
In my recipe below, I make the broth with store-bought shacha sauce and enrich it with peanut butter, sesame paste, and fish sauce. To accompany the noodles, I use shrimp (seafood works particularly well with shacha sauce), tofu puffs (they become so tasty after soaking up the broth), and mung bean sprouts (they add a refreshing crispness to the dish). Feel free to create your own ensemble.
Shacha noodles (沙茶面)
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon sesame paste
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 or 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons shacha sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee’s sa cha sauce or Bull Head’s barbeque sauce)
2½ cups (600 ml) unsalted pork stock, chicken stock, or water
1 tablespoon fish sauce
8 oz (230 g) fresh wheat noodles or 5⅓ (150 g) dried noodles, preferably alkaline
3 oz (85 g) tofu puffs
5 oz (140 g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 oz (60 g) mung bean sprouts, root ends removed
½ teaspoon chili oil (optional)
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Directions
- In a small bowl, mix well the peanut butter, sesame paste, and water.
- Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan over low heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the shacha sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute. Next, add the peanut butter-sesame paste mixture, stir to combine, and then add the stock and fish sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat while stirring to make sure the ingredients are well mixed and the broth is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Turn off the heat and cover to keep the broth hot.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles until just cooked through (al dente). Do not overcook. Drain the noodles in a colander, shaking well to remove excess water.
- When the noodles are ready, bring the broth back to a simmer over medium heat. Add the tofu puffs and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until just cooked through, about 45 seconds. Finally, add the bean sprouts and cook for 10 seconds.
- To serve, divide the noodles into 2 bowls and ladle in the broth and accompaniments. Drizzle with the chili oil and garnish with the scallion.
