Ants on tree | 蚂蚁上树

Ants on tree(蚂蚁上树) is one special dish in Sichuan Cuisine. The dish has tiny morsels of pork clinging to noodles made of pea starch, mung bean starch or sweet potato starch, which looks like many ants are climbing on a tree.  It is usually spicy with broad bean paste and flakes of chopped chili pepper and a little bit numbing with Sichuan pepper. 

Preparation time: 25 min

Cook time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1. Noodles from Pea Starch(豌豆粉条): 1/4 lb (the noodles can be made of Mung Bean Starch or Sweet Potato Starch)

2. Ground Pork(猪肉馅): 1/4 lb (Ground Beef could be used as well)

3. Vegetable Oil: 2.5 tablespoon

4. Broad Bean Paste(豆瓣): 1.5 tablespoon

5. Soy Sauce 酱油: 3 teaspoon

6. Chopped Scallion(葱花): green part only, 2 teaspoon

7. Chicken Broth(鸡汤): 2 cups

8. Salt: 0.5 teaspoon

9. Sichuan Pepper Powder: 0.5 teaspoon

Instructions:

1. Soak the noodles in hot water for 25 min or longer till they are soft and then drain them

2. Mix 1 pound ground pork with 0.5 teaspoon salt

3. Add 2.5 tablespoon Vegetable Oil in a wok with high heat and then add 1.5 tablespoon Broad Bean Paste and stir fry till the aroma comes out;

4. Change to low heat, then add 1/4 lb Ground Pork and stir fry till the meat is crispy;

5. Add 2 cups of Chicken Broth and 1/4 lb noodles, stir noodles with ground pork till they are fully mixed;

6. Add 3 teaspoon Soy Sauce and mix with noodles and meat

7. Change to high heat till more of liquid evaporates

8. Turn off the heat, add Chopped Scallion into the wok and mixed well

9. Transfer to a bowl, spray the Sichuan Pepper powder on top of noodles and it's ready to serve