I love Indo-Chinese food. Indo-Chinese is not purely Chinese cuisine. Indo Chinese food is a huge category of its own in Indian Cuisine. These fusion dishes are amped up with things like garlic, ginger, green chilies, spices and more. Today I am sharing this quick version of noodles with tips and tricks to get the perfect noodles every time. Loved by folks of all ages , it’s super easy to whip up and very addictive. These are my go to meal when we are exhausted after long work day. All you need are a few ingredients, all of which are almost always perpetually stocked in my home.
When it comes to choosing noodles, you have many options. There is usually flat or round noodles made with either all-purpose flour, wheat or eggs. I recommend choosing a noodle with medium thickness, because too thin noodles will lose itself among the vegetables and extremely thick noodles gives very doughy texture. You can make these noodles with any vegetables of choice or available in your home.
When it comes to sauce, I always make my own schezwan sauce but also keep Ching’s all in one stir fry or schezwan sauce in stock, to use with all Indo Chinese recipes. Schezwan sauce is nothing but chili garlic sauce. It perks up any meal, and I mean it! You can add it to your noodles, fried rice, veggies, tofu. I will share my sauce recipe, however if you are in time crunch, store brought sauce also makes amazing noodles! When it comes to cooking any Indo-Chinese cuisine, the trick is to keep high heat while continuously stirring the vegetables. Always remember to keep the vegetables al dente, to keep the vibrant color and texture.
Serves 2
[Per serving Calories 275, Fat 10g, Carbs 30g, Fiber 10g, Protein 8g]
Ingredients
For schezwan sauce
15-20 dried red chilies (add 5 kashmiri red dried chilies for red color)
15-20 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 inch ginger, finely chopped
5 tbsp shallot, finely chopped
½ cup EVOO
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper corns
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp brown sugar
For schezwan noodles
3-4 bundles of noodles
2 tbsp of EVOO
2-3 dried red chilies
2 cups of mixed veggies Julienned (carrots, cabbage, onion, bell pepper)
2 tbsp of spring onions finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp schezwan sauce (adjust based on your spice level)
8-10 cups of water
Method
For schezwan sauce – soak all the dried red chilies in warm water for couple hours. Blend into smooth paste. Heat EVOO in a pan and once hot add ginger, garlic, shallots. Sauté for couple of minutes until light golden color. Add chili paste and cook until oil separates from the sauce. Add all the seasonings and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the sauce cool completely. Store in air tight container for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
For schezwan noodles – Boil water in a deep pan, add salt. Add the noodles and cook al dente. When they are done, drain them to a colander and rinse under cold water. Set it aside.
In another pan, add 2 tbsp of EVOO over high flame. Once hot, add red dried chilies, ginger and garlic. Sauté until light golden brown. Add vegetables and continuously stirring until done half way. Keep in mind, you want to keep the veggies crunchy to maintain the texture and color. Add noodles, schezwan sauce, soy sauce. Mix until everything is uniform and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Turn off the flame, top it off with finely chopped green onions and serve hot!
Tips –
Always rinse the noodles with cold water to remove excess starch or coat with tsp of oil to keep them from sticking. I have found that when you coat them in oil, sauces don’t tend to coat well, hence I recommend just running the noodles under cold water.
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