Since our last visit to Auntie Guan’s Kitchen, our favorite Northern Chinese restaurant in New York City, I’ve been recreating dishes from their menu as they’re reminiscent of my fond childhood memories. So I’ve made Chao He Cai (Beijing-Style Vegetarian Moo Shu) and Pork and Sauerkraut Dumplings. And today, I can’t wait to share another favorite Northern Chinese dish with you. Potato Noodles in Sesame Sauce, or Da La Pi (大拉皮), is a traditional Dongbei (Northeastern Chinese) dish. Its signature is the wide and thick freshly made sweet potato noodles. The noodles have a transparent look once cooked, and taste soft yet spongy. The noodles are served with colorful vegetables, ribbons of egg, and sometimes a small amount of stir fried pork on top. And everything is brought together with the rich, savory sesame sauce that has a hint of sweetness and is spiced up with wasabi (or horseradish). It’s a dish that my family loves and one we often order in restaurants. It’s quite rare to see this one in the US, so now I’ve started making the homemade version.
Ingredients for Da La Pi
Potato noodles
The key element of Da La Pi is the thick transparent noodles. Back in China, we use freshly made sweet potato or potato noodles. They’re often very wide, about 2” (5 cm) or so, with a soft, spongy and even gooey texture. Here in the US, I was surprised to find fresh potato noodles at H Mart designed specifically for Da La Pi (see the picture below, it’s the package on the right). These noodles are not as wide as the ones in China, but the thick and chewy texture makes them quite authentic. You can find them in the refrigerated section at H Mart and some Chinese markets. Alternatively, you can use dried potato starch noodles (or the wide type of sweet potato starch noodles). Their texture is a bit more chewy, and I’ve found that their ability to coat with sauce is not as nice as the fresh ones. But if that’s your only choice, go for it and your dish will still turn out great. If none of these options are available, you can use rice noodles. Choose the wide type if possible for a similar texture.
Topping options
The most common topping for Da La Pi is cucumber, carrot and cilantro. Some versions use purple cabbage and ribbons of egg, which I love. That’s why I’ve included them in the recipe below. Other topping options include cherry tomatoes, sliced radishes and sliced sweet peppers. If you prefer a more substantial dish, you can add some protein to it. Although the traditional version usually uses stir fried shredded pork, I’ve found that leftover shredded rotisserie chicken, pulled pork, deli roast beef and baked tofu all work very well. TIP: To slice the vegetables faster, use a Mandoline Slicer. If you’re in a hurry, use 2 to 3 cups of pre-cut coleslaw mix to replace the vegetables.
How to make Da La Pi
Making Da La Pi is super easy. The sauce is great for making ahead of time and using later. The authentic presentation of Da La Pi uses colorful vegetables to surround the noodles in the middle, creating a stunning look. When you start to eat, simply pour on the rest of the sauce and mix everything together. Of course you don’t have to plate Da La Pi this way for a quick weekday dinner. You can dump everything into a large mixing bowl and toss everything together with the sauce.
How to serve Da La Pi
We often serve Da La Pi as a cold appetizer during a multi-course meal. It’s also one of those dishes that are perfect to serve with dumplings. However, you can totally serve it as a one-bowl meal for lunch or a light dinner. As I mentioned above, you can top it with the protein of your choice to make it more filling. And of course, you can also serve this dish as a salad course for dinner, paired with other main courses such as a meat stir fry. NOTE: The potato noodles are not suitable for storing in the fridge. The texture will toughen up and become quite weird. If you make the dish ahead of time, you will need to store it at room temperature (for a couple of hours) to warm back up. The best way is to make the sauce and prepare the vegetables ahead of time, and cook the noodles right before you serve it.
Other delicious Northern Chinese dishes
Serve Da La Pi with these recipes to create a Northern Chinese feast!
Pork and Sauerkraut Dumplings (酸菜饺子)Chicken Liver with Onion and Pepper (爆炒鸡肝)Pork and Garlic Chive Stir FryMom’s Best Braised Chicken with MushroomsMom’s Best Braised Pork Ribs (红烧排骨)Di San Xian (Stir Fried Eggplant, Potato and Pepper, 地三鲜)
