**The Art of Cooking Da Pan Ji: A Delicious Dish with Multiple Cuisines**

Da Pan Ji is a delicious dish that originated from multiple cuisines, including Xin Jiang, Shan Xi, and other regional styles. The name "Da Pan Ji" literally means "big pan stir-fry," which accurately describes the cooking method used to prepare this mouth-watering dish. In this article, we will delve into the world of Da Pan Ji and explore its history, ingredients, cooking techniques, and tips for creating an authentic version of this popular Chinese dish.

**History of Da Pan Ji**

Da Pan Ji has a rich history that spans multiple regions in China. The dish is believed to have originated from Xin Jiang cuisine, which is known for its bold flavors and spices. Over time, the recipe was adapted and modified by cooks in other regions, including Shan Xi province, resulting in a unique fusion of flavors and ingredients. Today, Da Pan Ji is enjoyed not only in China but also around the world, with many variations and adaptations of the original recipe.

**Ingredients and Cooking Techniques**

To make Da Pan Ji, you will need a few essential ingredients, including chicken breast or thighs, potatoes, chilies, onions, garlic, salt, and white noodles. The dish is characterized by its bold flavors, which are achieved through the use of aromatics such as onions, garlic, and chilies, as well as soy sauce and other seasonings. Cooking techniques used in Da Pan Ji include stir-frying, simmering, and braising, all of which help to bring out the rich flavors of the ingredients.

To begin cooking Da Pan Ji, start by preparing the chicken breast or thighs, cutting them into bite-sized pieces and seasoning with salt and other spices. Next, add the potatoes, chilies, onions, and garlic to a wok or large skillet, and stir-fry until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Add the chicken to the wok and continue cooking for another few minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

**Cooking Da Pan Ji with Stock Instead of Water**

If you are using boneless chicken breast, you can use stock instead of water to add more depth and richness to the dish. This will also help to create a flavorful sauce that is characteristic of Da Pan Ji. Simply substitute the water with chicken stock in the recipe, and adjust the amount of soy sauce accordingly.

**Adding Potatoes and Adjusting Flavor**

After cooking the chicken and vegetables for 10-15 minutes, add the potatoes to the wok or skillet. Continue simmering the mixture over low heat for another 20-30 minutes, or until both the potato and chicken are tender and cooked through. Be sure to adjust the seasoning as needed to ensure that the dish is balanced and flavorful.

**Adding Noodles and Serving**

To complete Da Pan Ji, add a serving of white noodles to the wok or skillet. Fettuccine works well as an alternative to traditional Biang Biang noodles. Cook the noodles according to package instructions, then serve them on top of the finished dish. This is where the magic happens – by combining the flavors and textures of the chicken, potatoes, vegetables, and noodles, you create a truly satisfying meal that is sure to impress.

**Tips for Cooking Da Pan Ji**

One tip for cooking Da Pan Ji is to add the onion at the last minute, stirring it in only for 30 seconds to preserve its texture and flavor. This ensures that the onion remains fresh and crunchy, adding depth and complexity to the dish. Another technique used in this recipe is the use of a wok or large skillet with a non-stick surface, which helps to prevent food from sticking and makes cooking easier.

**Final Touches**

Once the noodles are cooked, remove them from the heat and place them on a serving plate. Ladle the Da Pan Ji mixture over the top of the noodles, spooning it generously over the dish. This is where the final touches come in – be sure to adjust the seasoning one last time to ensure that everything is balanced and flavorful.

**Conclusion**

Da Pan Ji is a delicious dish that showcases the versatility and creativity of Chinese cuisine. With its bold flavors, intricate cooking techniques, and simple ingredients, this recipe offers something for everyone. Whether you're a seasoned cook or just starting out, Da Pan Ji is an excellent choice for a meal that will impress family and friends alike. So go ahead, give it a try, and experience the rich flavors of this beloved Chinese dish for yourself!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHi everyone, welcome to Souped Up Recipes.Today, we are making Da Pan Ji. This is a  funny name because Da Pan Ji means a big plate of chicken. The chicken was stir-fried first,  then stewed with potato pieces and served on top of noodles.  It was created in the 1980s, along the highway in Sha wan Xin Jiang. It was made to fit  truck drivers' tastes, so it got lots of influence from many different provinces.For this dish, we usually use bone in the skin of the chicken. Turn the chicken  breast side down. Use a sharp pair of kitchen sears to cut along both sides of the backbone.  This is an optional step, but I prefer to remove it because it doesn't have that much meat. You  can save it for another day to make chicken stock instead. Chop the chicken into chunks by using a  heavy-duty cleaver. This chicken is pretty small, about 2.5 pounds, without the feet,  the head, the backbone, and the inner bit. If you don't have a cleaver or you think  it's annoying to deal with bone-in chicken, you can use boneless chicken thigh instead.Marinate the chicken with 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1.5 tsp of salt,  1.5 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of five spice powder, and some white pepper to taste.  Mix well and let that sit for about 30 minutes. While the chicken is being marinated, we can talk  about other ingredients. You will need some Xin Jiang dried red chilies. We call it Xin Jiang Xian  La Jiao. It's not spicy, but slightly sweet and it gives a lovely peppery aroma to the dish. It  also provides a bright red color which makes the presentation so much nicer. I don't have access to  buy it and that is the main problem when you live abroad. I have been testing with many different  dried chilies because I want to make this dish taste the same as the ones that I had in China,  and I found these. The name is called GUAJILLO dried chilies. I got it from a Mexican grocery  store and it works fantastic as a replacement. We will need 4 pieces of this Guajillo chili.  Use scissors to cut them open. Soak it in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes.  Another key ingredient is Pi Xian Dou Ban Jiang, fermented board bean paste with chili oil.  Da Pan Ji is born in Xin Jiang, but it has a deep connection with Sichuan cuisine. That is  why we're using Dou Ban Jiang here. The board beans in this sauce are quite firm, so I like  to put it in a blender to even out the flavor. By now, the dried chilies should be rehydrated.  Put it in the blender as well. Add a splash of water to make sure everything blends smoothly.  An optional step, let it go through a sieve to get rid of the stubborn seeds.  Set the chili paste aside.Let's prepare the vegetables. I consider potato as the must-have item in this dish.  It's just so soft and flavorful. I can't say no to it.  You just peeled and cut them into big chunks. I will make it the same size as the chicken pieces.  Soak the potatoes in water, so they don't turn brown while we are working on other ingredients.  Cut 1 medium-sized red onion into big pieces.  Use the roll cutting technique to cut some green chili pepper and some red chili pepper.  Different colors will make the dish look nicer, but if you only have one color that is okay too.We will also need 6 to 8 slices of ginger. Slightly crush 10 to 15 cloves of garlic, we  will use half of them for the stir fry and reserve the rest to add at the end. Cut 8 to 10 scallions  into 2.5 inches long. Separate the white and green parts. We only need the white part for this dish.  The last ingredient that I want to talk about is Hua Jiao, also known as Sichuan peppercorns. It's  not spicy at all, but it gives you a numbing and tingling effect which is one of the key  elements of this dish. Today, I'm using 1 tbsp, but you should adjust it based on your preference  while everybody's taste buds are different. Please use a small amount first like 1 tsp.  Sichuan peppercorns can be overpowerful and ruin the dish.Add 4 tbsp of oil and 4 tbsp of sugar to the wok. Turn the heat to low. Stir it constantly.  We will caramelize the sugar. This is going to take a few minutes. It might look like a lot of  oil, but this dish is more than five servings, so it's actually not that much if you divide it.If you are using black cookware like mine, that is hard to see the color change.  You can use stainless steel spatula to lift up the sugar, so you can check it carefully. Once  you see that it changes to a red or brown color and the sugar is bubbling in the wok,  you can quickly toss in the marinated chicken and turn the heat to medium-high.Stir the chicken until it is coated with the caramelized sugar,  then add in the crushed garlic, the ginger slices,  the white part of the scallion, and the Sichuan peppercorns. Continue to stir for 5 minutes.Push the chicken to the side. You can see that there is more oil appearing in the wok  because the chicken will provide some fat. Turn the heat to low again. Add 1.5 tbsp of soy sauce,  a little liquid ingredient that will help drop the wok temperature a little bit  which makes it easier to saute the chili paste. We used low heat here  because the fermented boiled bean paste is an ingredient that can get burned easily.  Stir the chili paste for a minute or two. Mix it with the chicken. Continue to cook  until all the chicken is coated with that nice glossy sauce, then we will add four cups of water.Basically, the chicken is stir-fried first and then braised until tender.  That is why I insist on using bone-in chicken as an add some depth of flavors to the dish. If  you're using boneless chicken, you can use stock instead of water. Cover the lid. Use high heat  to bring this wok to a boil. Then turn the heat to low. Now, we can taste and adjust the flavor.I add about 1 tbsp of salt here. You want it to taste a lot saltier than what you normally like  because we still have a lot of potatoes, chilies, and onions on the side that we will add later.  The chicken takes much longer to cook than potatoes,  so we will let this simmer on low heat for 30 minutes and then add the potatoes.Continue cooking for another 20 minutes or until both  the potato and the chicken are soft and tender.  If you're not sure about the time, just give it a try to check the taste and the texture.  Toss in the reserved red onions, garlic, and chili pepper. Give it a final stir and you are  almost done. Let's cover the lid and move the wok to the side because we will cook some noodles.  This dish is often served on top of Ku Dai Mian, Ku Dai means belt because these noodles are wide  kind of like a belt. Some of you might notice that this is very similar to Biang Biang noodles.  In fact, it is Biang Biang noodles, a classic recipe from Shan Xi province  which is another hint that you can tell this dish is a combination of  multiple cuisines. I made this dough ahead of time. Now, I just have to pull the noodles and  cook them. I do have a separate video that I showed you how to make  Biang Biang noodles. The recipe link is in the description. You can check it out if you need it.Let the noodles cook in boiling water. If you don't have time to make Biang Biang noodles,  don't worry you can use any white noodles. Fettuccine will work  perfectly. You just have to follow the cooking instructions on the package.  My noodles are freshly made, so they only take a few minutes to cook through.Look how wide the noodles are. That is why they are called  belt noodles. Fish them out. Shake off the excess water.  Place them on a big plate. Serve the Da Pan Ji on top of the noodles. This is so smart. It's  like you're making one dish, but you end up with a complete meal that is enough to serve 5 people.Look at this plate, it's so big that you can tell this dish inherited the enthusiasm from Xin Jiang  cuisine. The people there are just so friendly that they want to serve as much food as possible  when they have guests over. Whenever I order this dish from a restaurant, I always go with the  potato first because I just know it's gonna taste good after it's been simmered in such flavor soup.  The chicken is tender and savory. It is spicy but you don't really get the heat at the first  cup of bite. It will hit you slowly. It's like tricking you into eating more. The  onion was added at the last and only stirred for less than a minute. That is a such smart  move because the onion is still a bit raw and fresh which is great to balance the tanginess.I hope you give this a try soon. If you did leave me a comment let me know how it goes. As always,  don't forget to check the description where you can find all the links, including the printable  recipe, the related videos, the purchase links for special ingredients if you don't know where to buy  them, or the tools that I used in this video.Thank you for watching, and I will see you  next time.Bye~\n"