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Big Plate Chicken with Belt Noodles (大盘鸡)

Big Plate Chicken (Da Pan Ji) is a classic Chinese dish consisting of aromatic chicken stew and silky hand-pulled noodles. My recipe shows you how to make it from scratch with a great workflow.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Rest
1 hr 10 mins
Total Time
1 hr 45 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 745 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

For the noodles
  • 300 g all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 150 g water see note 1
  • cooking oil for coating the dough
For the chicken
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 800 g chicken thigh, cut in chunks
  • 1½ tablespoon Sichuan chilli bean paste
  • 10 slice ginger
  • 10 clove garlic
  • 3 star anise
  • 2 piece cassia cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 handful dried chilli or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Sichuan pepper
  • 1½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
For the vegetables
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut in chunks
  • 1 green bell pepper, cut in chunks
  • 1 medium-sized potato, cut in thin pieces
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 stalks scallions, chopped
  • Coriander optional

Instructions

Make & rest the dough (1 hour 15 mins)
    Cup of Yum
  1. Mix flour and salt. Add water gradually. Mix with chopsticks until no more loose flour can be seen.
  2. Combine and knead briefly into a dough. Cover and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Knead again for about 2 minutes until very smooth (see note 2).
  3. Divide the dough into 6 parts. Roll each piece into a gherkin shape.
  4. Coat them with oil thoroughly. Cover with cling film then rest for at least 1 hour.
Cook the chicken & vegetables (20 mins)
  1. Heat up the oil in a wok. Stir in the chicken. Fry until pale.
  2. Add all the herbs, spices and seasonings for the chicken. Pour in 250ml (1 cup) hot water. Cover with a lid. Leave to cook for 10 mins.
  3. Put in bell pepper, potato and onion (add some hot water if appear to be dry). Stir around then leave to cook for a further 5 mins until the vegetables become tender. Add scallions at the end.
Pulled and cook the noodles (5 mins)
  1. When the dough is well rested, bring a large pot of water to a full boil.
  2. While waiting, use a rolling pin to flatten each dough piece into a rectangle shape.
  3. Pick up one piece by holding each end gently. Pull in opposite directions. The movement should be smooth and consistent.
  4. As your arms move apart, bounce the noodle against the worktop to help it stretch further (Please refer to the tutorial video below). Drop the pulled noodle into boiling water.
  5. Pull the second one and drop it in. Repeat until you finish all six pieces of dough. Leave to cook for 1-2 minutes (see note 3).
Assemble the dish
  1. Transfer the noodles to a large serving plate/bowl using a pair of chopsticks.
  2. Pour in the cooked chicken & vegetables.
  3. Garnish with coriander if using. Stir well & enjoy immediately.

Notes

  • Flour of different brands has slightly different water absorption capacity. You may need to reduce/increase the water volume a little to achieve the desired dough texture (watch my tutorial video above to see what it is like)
  •  If kneading with a stand mixer: Add flour, salt and water into the mixing bowl. Use the dough hook to knead on low speed until a very smooth dough forms (it takes about 8 mins).
  • I have a comprehensive guide on “How to make hand-pulled noodles” which shows techniques for making thinner hand-pulled noodles. If you are new to this, it may be a good idea to start with thinner version. Then move on to belt-wide noodles later on.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 745kcal (37%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 745

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 745kcal 37%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.