Chinese hand-pulled noodles (la mian)

Traditional la mian pulled noodles can be a metre or more long, and are served during Lunar New Year because their long length is symbolic of long life.

• serves

  6

• prep

  1:15 hour

• cook

  5 minutes

Ingredients

• 225 g (1 ½ cups) high-gluten flour (see note) 
• 100–110 ml water, at room temperature 
• ½ tsp salt 
• vegetable oil, as needed

Resting time: 15-20 minutes

Instructions

Combine flour, water, and salt in a large bowl. Knead dough for about 20 minutes or until very elastic. Cover dough with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 15-20 minutes, to relax gluten.

Knead dough for about 15-20 minutes or until it is stretchy. Pulling noodles is an art that can take years to learn. To pull noodles, repeatedly stretch dough to produce long thin strands. A little vegetable oil can help while handling them.

Alternatively, roll out dough till thin and cut in narrow strips.

Add noodles to a large saucepan of boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes.

Strain noodles, rinse under cold water and add a little vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Use in soups, stir-fries or with tomatoes and cucumber in a salad.

Note
High-gluten flour is available from Asian grocers. Be sure to ask for a high-gluten flour suitable for making noodles.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.