Da La Pi (大拉皮, Northern Chinese Potato Noodles in Sesame Sauce)
Da La Pi, or potato noodles in sesame sauce, is a signature Northern Chinese dish that has a fun texture, is loaded with colorful vegetables, and gets brought together with a rich and nutty sesame-wasabi dressing. It is perfect to serve as a light main dish or salad in the warm months, or as an appetizer for a multi-course meal. {Gluten-Free Adaptable, Vegan}To make the dish gluten-free, use rice vinegar to replace Chinkiang vinegar. You might need to increase the amount of vinegar to 3 tablespoons because its flavor is milder than the Chinkiang vinegar.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 eggs (, beaten)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of sugar
- Oil spray (for cooking)
- 1/4 cup Chinese sesame paste ((or unsalted natural peanut butter) (*Footnote 1))
- 2 tablespoons warm water ((or more))
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup ((or sugar))
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic (, grated)
- 1 teaspoon wasabi
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 7 oz (200 g) fresh potato noodles ((or 3.5 oz / 100 g dried potato noodles))
- 1 small carrot (, sliced to thin strips)
- 1/2 English cucumber (, sliced to thin strips)
- 1 cup purple cabbage (, thinly sliced)
- 1/3 cup cilantro (, chopped)
Instructions
- 1
If using dried noodles that require soaking, soak the noodles according to package instructions. (*Footnote 2)
- 2
Crack the eggs into a medium-sized bowl and beat until even and smooth. Add the cornstarch and water into a smaller bowl, stir to mix well until the cornstarch is dissolved, and pour it into the beaten eggs. Add the salt and sugar. Stir to mix well.
- 3
Spray (or drizzle) a small amount of oil onto a large nonstick skillet and use paper towels to wipe the oil so the skillet is very thinly coated. Heat over medium heat for 20 seconds. Pour in the beaten egg mixture and immediately swirl the skillet so the egg spreads out into a thin, round layer. Cook until the eggs are mostly set, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Slowly use a spatula to loosen the egg and fold it over a few times, then transfer to a cutting board.
- 4
Wait until the eggs are cool enough to handle. Slice it into thin strips about 1/4 (1/2 cm) wide.
- 5
Add the sesame paste into a medium-sized bowl. Slowly add warm water and whisk with a spoon, until it forms a smooth paste.
- 6
Add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Stir to mix well. If the sauce is still too thick, almost like a dipping sauce, add 1 or 2 more tablespoons of water and mix again, until it reaches a salad dressing consistency.
- 7
Cook the soaked potato noodles according to package directions. Taste a noodle before draining, to make sure it’s fully cooked through. Once done, drain well and rinse with cold tap water to stop cooking. Drain again and transfer the noodles to a medium-sized bowl. Toss with half of the sauce, then transfer to the center of a big plate.
- 8
Place the cucumber, carrot, purple cabbage and sliced eggs around the noodles. Garnish with cilantro and serve with the rest of the sauce on the side.
- 9
Toss everything together with the rest of the sauce. Serve at room temperature as an appetizer.