Fry some peanuts and soybeans for topping. Simply add some oil to a pan on medium low heat, and slowly fry the peanuts. It takes 8-10 minutes . Top with some salt and mix well. Use the same process to fry soybeans. Remember to keep the heat medium low. If the oil is too hot, the beans can be burnt and turn black easily. Take out the soybeans and set aside.
Make the soup base. In a soup bowl, combine garlic paste, Sichuan peppercorn powder, salt, light soy sauce, vinegar, a little bit of dark soy sauce. 3-4 tablespoon of chili oil plus one tablespoon with sediment. Add 1 tsp of lard (replace with olive oil for vegetarian version). Lastly, add 1.5 cup of boiling hot chicken stock. If you are vegetarian, simply replace with vegetable stock.
Cook the noodles. Drop dried sweet potato noodles in boiling water and cook for about 8-10 minutes. The noodles are ready when you can break one in half with chopsticks.
Use a strainer to drop noodles in the soup bowl.
Add fried soybean and peanuts, finely chopped celery, finely chopped green onion, preserved mustard tuber (Aka Zha Cai) and some fresh bean sprouts as toppings.
Serve
