Sizzling Oil Taiwanese Cold Noodles: The 3-Step Oil-Pour Secret

Steps

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1. 1
   Bring a pot of water to a boil and have your pre-cooked oil noodles ready. Prepare a separate bowl of ice water.
   ▶ ≈2:12
2. 2
   Quickly blanch the oil noodles in boiling water just to rinse off excess surface oil — work fast so the noodles don't turn mushy.
   ▶ ≈3:06
3. 3
   Immediately transfer the noodles into the ice water for just a brief dip to cool them down — don't leave them too long or they'll absorb water and lose their bite.
   ▶ ≈3:49
4. 4
   Drain the cooled noodles well and set them aside.
   ▶ ≈4:24
5. 5
   In a bowl, combine minced garlic, minced ginger (optional), white sesame seeds, chili powder, and a small amount of Sichuan peppercorn powder.
   ▶ ≈4:31
6. 6
   Heat oil until smoking, then turn off the heat. Pour it over the spice mixture in three separate additions, stirring and spreading the mixture between pours so the temperature rises gradually and fully releases the garlic and ginger's aroma.
   ▶ ≈5:03
7. 7
   Stir in the sesame paste (or Japanese-style goma sauce), then taste and add sugar to adjust sweetness as desired.
   ▶ ≈6:40
8. 8
   Add soy sauce to season — since the noodles will dilute the flavor later, make the sauce slightly stronger than you'd want on its own. Add chili oil for more heat and sesame oil for extra fragrance, if desired.
   ▶ ≈7:31
9. 9
   Add julienned cucumber (and carrot, if using). For a stronger garlic flavor, stir in some extra raw minced garlic.
   ▶ ≈8:16
10. 10
    Toss the prepared sauce with the chilled noodles. If not eating right away, you can chill the sauce and noodles separately and mix just before serving. Add extra vinegar if you like it tangier — it's optional since the goma sauce already has some tang.
    ▶ ≈9:00
11. 11
    Finally, sprinkle in chopped cilantro and peanuts, tossing once more so the aromas coat the whole bowl of noodles.
    ▶ ≈9:30
12. 12
    Plate and serve. For extra tang, drizzle a little black vinegar over the top before eating.
    ▶ ≈9:49