Dapanji

Dapanji is a Xinjiang-associated chicken and potato dish served with broad noodles. Judy Leung recalls restaurant versions made with a whole chicken cut into bone-in pieces, while her home recipe uses boneless chicken thighs. Her stew also contains potatoes, carrots and bell peppers, with ginger, garlic, Sichuan pepper, dried chillies, star anise, cinnamon and bay leaves.^[1]

The chicken is first marinated with light soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine and cornstarch, then seared with the aromatics. Potatoes and carrots are added with water, wine and light and dark soy sauces for braising; the peppers follow later. Thick, flat noodles are cooked separately and placed beneath the finished chicken and vegetables, where they take up the sauce. Spring onions are added near the end of her preparation.^[1]