Dapanji



Dapanji is a type of stewed chicken that belongs to Chinese, Uyghur and Dungan cuisine. When preparing, methods and ingredients of Chinese cuisine are used.

Dapanji and Dungan language: Latin: Da pan ji, Cyrillic: Дапанджи. Translation into Uyghur: ' (تۇخۇ قوردىقى, чоң тәхсә тоху қорумиси; also spelled ' is a type of chicken stew. It is a popular dish that originated in Shensi, Gansu, Ningxia, Xinjiang, China. Included in the original composition of the food culture of the Dungan people.

Etymology
Dapanji in the original title means "big plate chicken" in Chinese and Dungan language. Already from translation to Uyghur name,  (چوڭ, Чоң, qong) means "big",  (تەخسە, Тәхсә, təhsə) means "platter",  (توخۇ, Тоху, ) means "chicken" and  (قورۇمىسى, Қорумиси, ⱪorumisi) means "fried".

History
Dapanji first appeared in Shawan in the late 1980s. The dish gained popularity in Xinjiang in the mid-to-late 1990s. It is said to have been invented in Shawan, Northern Xinjiang, by a migrant from Sichuan who mixed hot chili peppers with chicken and potatoes in an attempt to reproduce a Sichuan taste. Although Shawan is generally believed to the place of origin of the dish, there are also other claims of origin, including an invention by a Hunan native at Chaiwopu Lake near Ürümqi. Some believed the dish was originally served in a number of smaller plates, but later a large single plate was used instead which gave it its name. The dish was served by restaurateurs along the Xinjiang highways as a quick fix for truck drivers who often arrived at an odd time of the day. Its rich flavor and heartiness quickly made the dish a favorite of the region and the dish then spread to the rest of China.

Ingredients and preparation
The main ingredients are chicken, bell peppers and potatoes, cooked with onions, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, ground cumin, star anise, ground Sichuan peppers, cooking oil, also optionally soy sauce and beer.

The chicken is cut into bite size pieces (usually unboned), sautéed with spices and coarsely chopped vegetables and simmered in broth, providing a savory and spicy stew. It is usually served with laghman (wide, hand-stretched noodles; known as latiaozi or kudaimian in China) and shared by family and friends in a communal manner.

Other variations of the dish may be served with nan (馕包大盘鸡), a staple bread widely consumed in Xinjiang, usually served baked or roasted in Xinjiang restaurants and other places. With the sauce, the bread becomes very soft and moist, producing a melt-in-the-mouth savoury texture.