Before you say "cholesterol" and run, try adding a spoonful of aligue to your next last-minute noodle situation. In the case of these chili oil knife-cut noodles, the orange paste adds a buttery, palabok-like richness and a nuanced seafood flavor to the 15-minute dish.
What are knife-cut noodles?
Knife-cut noodles (or dao xiao mian) come from China’s Shanxi province. As the name implies, they’re made by thinly slicing a block of stiff dough into boiling water. This forms ribbon-like noodles that are thicker and chewier than the usual hand-pulled variety. When cooked, knife-cut noodles curl and form squiggly edges.
Are knife-cut noodles available in the Philippines?
Unless your supermarket is cool, you probably won't find instant knife-cut noodles there. Check out specialty Asian groceries or online resellers instead—we ordered ours from Shopee.
If you have flour and water, you can also make them yourself!
Ingredients
- ½ cup neutral oil
- 2 tbsp aligue or taba ng talangka (crab fat)
- 1 ½ tbsp red chili flakes
- 1 tbsp minced green onions, plus more for garnish
- 1 tbsp grated or minced garlic
- ½ tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar or Chinese black vinegar
- 300g knife-cut noodles
Heat oil: Heat neutral oil in a small saucepan over high heat.
Make aligue chili oil: While the oil heats up, combine the aligue, chili flakes, green onions, garlic, sesame seeds, and ginger in a heatproof bowl. Once you see wisps of smoke emerging from the oil, remove saucepan from heat. Carefully pour hot oil over the aligue-chili mixture—it should sizzle on contact. Once the sizzling subsides, mix the sauce until ingredients are well distributed. Season with soy sauce and vinegar.
Cook noodles: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook knife-cut noodles according to package instructions or until soft and chewy, about 3–5 minutes. Drain and transfer noodles to the bowl of aligue chili oil. Toss and mix until each noodle is evenly coated. Season with more soy sauce or vinegar to taste. Garnish with more aligue (if you dare!) and green onions. Serve immediately.
