Big chicken pieces, big potatoes, wide hand-pulled noodles — one plate feeds a whole table.
The generosity of Xinjiang is served in one big plate.
In Xinjiang, dapanji is the star of every gathering. Large pieces of chicken, big chunks of potato, plenty of green and red peppers, and wide hand-pulled noodles — one enormous plate arrives, and just looking at it makes you hungry.
The dish has several origin stories. The most popular tells of a Sichuan chef in Shawan in the 1980s who combined Sichuan's spicy style with Xinjiang ingredients, serving chicken in a large plate with noodles underneath. It was a hit, and 'big plate chicken' was born.
The cooking is stir-fry then simmer. The chicken is stir-fried with broad bean paste, chillies and Sichuan pepper, then simmered with potatoes until the meat is flavoured and the potatoes soft. The sauce is the treasure — and tossing the noodles in it is the classic finish.
The noodles are the finishing touch. Wide hand-pulled noodles are cooked and spread at the bottom of the plate, then covered with the rich sauce. They soak up every drop, chewy and deeply flavoured. After the chicken and potatoes, the noodle course is a meal in itself.
In Xinjiang, dapanji is the default dish for friends gathering. A few friends, a big plate, naan bread and kvas — eating and talking, the boldness and warmth of Xinjiang people are all on that plate.
When you visit Xinjiang, do not miss dapanji. In Urumqi or Shawan, find an old restaurant, order a big plate and a pot of brick tea — the vastness of the Tianshan and the warmth of Xinjiang are in that one plate.
