This was
Ban Ban Ji, or chilled chicken, tomato and cucumber with spicy sesame sauce.
I had thought that
Ban Ban Ji was a Chinese dish that is well-known in Japan, but apparently a Chinese-inspired Japanese dish. Although I don't know the history of the dish well, recently I happened to see a
recipe online and thought I would make it first time. Actually it was pretty easy to make.
Gently poach chicken tenderloins in a boiling water along with ginger, scallion and
Sake; make spicy sesame sauce with sesame paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, sugar (Splenda), sesame oil, scallion, and Sichuan-style spicy chili paste; arrange chilled
Ramen noodles, vegetables, cooked chicken in the bowl; pour sauce on the top. Broccoli and
Ramen noodles are not traditional, but I added them to make a one-bowl-dinner dish. I didn't have
Rayu, or Japanese chili oil in hand, so I used Sichuan-style spicy chili paste instead.
The result was pretty good! With lean chicken tenderloins and plenty of fresh veggies, it must be a relatively healthy meal. I was glad J enjoyed the dish and gave me an approval. I will make it again, but unfortunately I might need to wait to next spring/summer. This is a cold dish that is enjoyable during the hot weather. Now the fall is coming here...
