American Chop Suey (Indian Style)

American Chopsuey is an all time favorite Indo-Chinese recipe that is made with the combination of crispy noodles and a tangy sauce. Indo Chinese is a very interesting cuisine. It is also one of the tastiest versions of Chinese fusion food. Adapted for the colourful and adventurous Indian palate, Indo Chinese has a lot of chili, a lot of tang and a lot of oomph. One of the most popular dishes on the menu of a restaurant serving Indian Chinese is a dish called American Chopsuey.

Chopsuey is originally a Chinese dish of meat and vegetables stir fried in sauce and thickened with corn starch. It is served with noodles and there are many variations in place in different regions of China. The Indian Chinese version of Chopsuey is similar in concept with an interesting twist. The base of the dish is a corn starch thickened almost sweet and sour tasting tangy vegetable sauce topped with a mound of crispy fried noodles. It is spectacular to look at and absolutely scrumptious.

Back in college, we used to have American Chopsuey religiously at our local Indian Chinese restaurant. It was a hot bowl of comfort especially when we returned after a busy day at college braving the traffic and rain. The thick ketchup sauce with stir fried vegetables had a peppery kick, the noodles were always fried to perfection. The zing of pepper, the slightly charred wok flavor and the abundance of spring onions and coriander was an explosion of flavor that sends goosebumps down my arms even today. Lets take a tour of this Amazing and Yummylicious Dish.

Ingredients:

100 gms Noodles

1/2 Cup Bell Papers
1/4 cup Onion
1/2 Cup Cabbage
1/2 Cup Carrot
1/2 Cup Cabbage – ½ cup
2 -3 Tbsp Corn flour
2-3 Tbsp Tomato sauce
1/2 tsp Soy sauce
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Chilly sauce
1 tsp Vinegar
Oil to fry Noodles

Method:

1. Take 3 to 4 cups of water in any vessel and place it for heating. When water starts heating, add 1 to 1.5 tsp oil and ½ tsp salt into it. After this cut the noodles and place in the boiling water and cook until they get slightly soft. Within 5 to 6 minutes, noodles get ready. Strain the noodles with a sieve and wash them with cold water. Boiled and non gooey noodles are ready.

2. When noodle cools, add 1 to 1.5 tsp corn flour in to in and mix well.

3. Preheat oil in a pan. When oil is sufficiently hot, place the noodles with circular motion giving it a shape of round plate. When fried from one side, flip the side and fry from the other side as well until crispy. Take out the fried noodles in a plate and likewise fry rest of the noodles as well.

4. Take 2 Tbsp oil in the pan and remove the rest. Add Onion and Garlic carrots sauté them, Then add Bell Papers, cabbage, Stir the vegetables constantly and sauté on high flame for 2 minutes until they get crispy.

5. Now add 1 cup water, soya sauce, chilly sauce, tomato sauce, salt and let it simmer. Add 2 to 3 tbsp water in corn flour to make a smooth batter. Now add vinegar and mix really well. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes on low flame.

6. Turn off the flame and take out sauce in a bowl. For serving, take one round of fried noodles and place it over a plate. Pour the sauce over it and serve steaming hot. You’ll definitely relish this crispy noodles and spicy sauce.

Enjoyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!