Cold Sesame (Ma Jiang) Noodles

Name: Cold Sesame (Ma Jiang) Noodles
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 340 g dried wheat noodles (la mian, lo mein, or other thin egg-free noodles); 45 g sesame paste (or tahini); 45 ml light soy sauce; 30 ml black rice vinegar; 15 g granulated sugar; 30 ml warm water; 3 clove garlic; 2 stalk scallions (green onions); 15 ml neutral vegetable oil; 10 ml sesame oil; 1 piece English cucumber; 60 g carrot; 15 g toasted sesame seeds; 30 ml chili oil; 2 g salt

Chilled wheat noodles tossed in a creamy, savory sesame sauce with crisp cucumber and scallion — a quick, plant-based Chinese cold noodle classic for warm days or make-ahead lunches.

25 min

start to finish

15 min

hands on

Easy

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

340 g dried wheat noodles (la mian, lo mein, or other thin egg-free noodles)about 12 oz; substitute 340 g cooked rice noodles for a gluten-free version (see note)
2 g saltor to taste (used sparingly; soy sauce is salty)

For the sesame sauce

45 g sesame paste (or tahini)about 3 tbsp; Chinese sesame paste preferred
45 ml light soy sauce3 tbsp; use tamari for gluten-free substitute
30 ml black rice vinegar2 tbsp; or use rice vinegar
15 g granulated sugar1 tbsp
30 ml warm waterstart with 2 tbsp and add more to loosen the paste

Aromatics & seasoning

3 clove garlicminced
2 stalk scallions (green onions)thinly sliced; white and green parts separated
15 ml neutral vegetable oil1 tbsp, for hot-oil blooming
10 ml sesame oil2 tsp, for finishing

Vegetables

1 piece English cucumberabout 200 g; julienned or cut into matchsticks
60 g carrotjulienned (about 1 small carrot)

Garnish

15 g toasted sesame seedsabout 1 tbsp

Garnish (optional)

30 ml chili oilto taste for serving

Contains gluten, soy, sesame. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

480 kcal13g protein62g carbs18g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
Cook the dried noodles in the boiling water until just al dente according to package instructions (usually 5–8 minutes).
Drain the noodles and immediately rinse under cold running water until cool to stop cooking and remove surface starch; drain thoroughly.
While the noodles cook, whisk together the sesame paste, soy sauce, black rice vinegar, sugar and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) warm water in a medium bowl until smooth; add more warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach a thick but pourable sauce.
Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 30–60 seconds).
Place the minced garlic and the white parts of the scallions in a heatproof small bowl and pour the hot oil over them to bloom the aromatics; stir once and let rest 30 seconds.
Add the garlic-and-scallion oil (including solids) to the sesame sauce and whisk to combine; season with sesame oil and adjust salt or soy sauce to taste.
Toss the drained noodles with the sauce in a large bowl until evenly coated.
Fold in the julienned cucumber, carrot and most of the green parts of the scallions, reserving some scallion and sesame seeds for garnish.
Taste and adjust: add a little more vinegar for brightness, a splash of soy for salt, or a drizzle of chili oil for heat.
Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and remaining scallion greens, and serve immediately or chill for 15–30 minutes to serve cold.

Worth knowing

Use Chinese sesame paste (made from toasted sesame) if you can — it’s richer than tahini and gives a deeper flavor. If using tahini, warm it briefly to make it easier to whisk.
To toast sesame seeds: dry-toast in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, about 2 minutes until fragrant — watch closely to avoid burning.
If you need gluten-free, substitute tamari and rice (or glass) noodles; cooking times will differ for rice noodles—follow package directions.
Make-ahead: store sauce separately and toss with noodles just before serving to keep textures bright.
For extra crunch and color, add shredded cabbage or blanched snow peas.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

VegetarianVeganDairy-freeQuickMeal prepKid friendly

More Chinese cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Chinese cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be vegetarian and vegan and dairy-free as listed.