Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 1 tbsp of oil. Toss in the cilantro and blanch it for about 15 seconds. Take it out and rinse it with cold water so it can cool down instantly.

   
2. Transfer the cilantro into a blender cup and add water until it weighs about 175 grams. Then add 1/2 tsp of salt. Blend the cilantro, water, and salt into a puree.
   
3. Pour the cilantro puree into 300 grams of bread flour and mix until well absorbed. Gather all the flour together until a rough dough forms. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.
   
4. After 20 minutes, continue to knead for 8 minutes or until smooth. During this time, please feel the texture of the dough and adjust it based on your situation. You want a soft but nonstick dough. If the dough sticks, add more bread flour. If the dough is too tight, sprinkle a little bit of water. If you own a KitchenAid, use the hook attachment and let it run on medium speed for 10 minutes without the 20-minute resting.
   
5. After 8 minutes, the dough should be smooth; Shape it into a round ball and cover it. Let it rest for at least 1 hour. A proper resting period allows the gluten to expand and absorb water in the dough, making it more flexible and easier to work with.
   
6. While waiting, make the dipping sauce, or what we call 蘸水. Add 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/3 tsp of Sichuan peppercorn powder, 1/3 tsp of thirteen spice powder, 2 Tbsps of minced garlic, 3 Tbsps diced scallion, 1 tbsp of roasted sesame seeds, and 1.5 tbsp of red chili flakes to a heatproof bowl. Heat 3 Tbsps of cooking oil to smoking hot and pour it onto the aromatics and mix to activate the fragrance. Then add 3 Tbsps of soy sauce and 1 tbsp of Chinese black vinegar. Stir well and evenly divide it into 3 bowls because this recipe serves 3 people. Set the sauce aside for now.
   
7. Once the dough is rested for 1 hour, it should be more elastic and playable. Next, roll it into a super thin sheet. Flatten the dough ball into a round patty. Once the patty is big enough, use it to wrap the rolling pin and continue to roll. Here is the most important technique. When you roll, you have to apply force in 4 directions. The first one is downward against the working surface; the second force is forward to push the rolling pin away for you. At the same time, both of your hands should push the sheet toward left and right. This way, your sheet will expand quickly and evenly. You can rotate the sheet 90 degrees and flip the sheet every minute. Also, if the sheet becomes longer than your rolling pin, you can cut it in halves, stack them, and roll them both at the same time.
   
8. During the rolling, feel free to sprinkle cornstarch to prevent sticking. I know some of you will ask, why don’t you use bread flour. Well, bread flour contains gluten, and gluten tends to connect to each other as you roll, so it is not the best option to prevent sticking. As opposed, cornstarch doesn’t contain any gluten, so it will not mix into the dough, and it will keep the noodles nonstick for a long time.
   
9. Once the sheets become 1.5 mm thick, cut them into 1-inch wide ribbons; that is why it is also called belt noodles. Shaanxi is one of my favorite provinces in China, as it was the ancient capital of 13 Dynasties in Chinese history, so it has accumulated profound customs and culture. The local stream of people passes on a limerick to summarize their unique things, and this belt noodle is at the top of the list.
   
10. To cook the noodles, bring a pot of water to a boil and add all the noodles. Cook for 1.5 minutes. Optionally, toss in some green leafy vegetables and blanch for 30 seconds. I am using choy sum. You can use bok choy, or lettuce.
    
11. Transfer the noodles and vegetables into a big serving bowl. Pour in some of the noodle cooking water.
    
12. Scoop 1/4 cup of noodle cooking water from the pot and pour it into each serving of dipping sauce. So, in total, you will need 3/4 cups of water. However, please add the water in batches and taste to adjust the flavor. It should be saltier than your normal preference.
    
13. To serve, drag the noodles from the big bowl, slide them into the dipping sauce, and then enjoy! If a family is serving this dish. They will share a huge bowl that is as big as a bucket so you can literally see that everybody is pulling and eating the noodles in every direction possible. It may look weird, but that is the culture. Of course, if you don’t like this type of table manners, you can separate the noodles into single servings.