Heji Huimian (Henan Braised Noodles)
A rich lamb broth paired with chewy wide noodles, silky vermicelli, tofu skin, and black fungus – every spoonful captures the essence of Henan cuisine.
Ingredients
16 items- Flour 500g
- Warm water 250ml
- Salt 10g
- Lamb 300g
- Lamb bones 500g
- Tofu skin (qianzhang) 100g
- Vermicelli 50g
- Dried black fungus 20g
- Dried day lily 20g
- Cilantro 2 stalks
- Ginger 1 piece
- Scallion 2 stalks
- Cooking wine 2 tbsp
- White pepper 1 tsp
- Five-spice powder 1 tsp
- Chili oil 1 tbsp
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Mix the flour with 5g salt, gradually add warm water while stirring until flaky. Knead into a smooth dough, cover with damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.
Place lamb bones and lamb meat in cold water with ginger, scallion knots and 1 tbsp wine. Bring to a boil, skim the foam, then simmer for 60 minutes until the broth is milky white and meat tender. Remove lamb and cut into pieces.
Thinly slice the tofu skin, tear rehydrated fungus into small florets, cut day lily into sections, soak vermicelli in warm water until soft. Drain and set aside.
Roll the rested dough into a thick log, divide into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into an oval sheet about 10cm long, brush both sides with oil, cover with plastic wrap and rest for another 20 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Take one dough sheet, hold both ends and gently stretch and shake until it becomes about 80cm long. Drop into boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes until it floats and turns translucent. Lift out. Repeat for all sheets.
In the same boiling water, blanch vermicelli, tofu skin, fungus, and day lily for 1 minute, then drain and place in a large serving bowl as base.
Place the cooked noodles on top of the vegetables, arrange lamb pieces, ladle hot broth over, season with salt, white pepper, five-spice powder. Drizzle with chili oil if desired, and garnish with cilantro.
Key tip: Simmer the broth until rich and creamy; rest the dough sufficiently for easy stretching; do not overcook the vegetables.
Tips
The soul of Heji Huimian lies in its lamb broth – slow‑simmer and skim oil to keep it clear and milky. Rest the dough twice to achieve thin, strong noodles. Cook noodles in abundant boiling water; they are done as soon as they float. Add salt at the end to keep meat tender. Chili oil or vinegar can be added per taste.
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