Indian Chinese Cuisine
Indian-Chinese Fusion Cuisine is a rage across the Indian sub-continent. In simple words, it is the spicy makeover of takeaway-style Chinese dishes to suit the Indian palate. Indo-Chinese Cuisine is characterized by the presence of dishes like Manchurian, chowmein, fried rice, spring roll, and many other lip-smacking dishes. Over the years, the Indo-Chinese Cuisines have come across as more of takeaway-style comfort food perfect for binge eating.
Difference between chilli garlic noodles and chowmein
The sauce and the ingredients are the key differentiating factor between the chilli garlic noodles and chowmein. The chowmein or lo mein is a more street-style version of garlic noodles. For a lo mein noodles are tossed on high heat with lots of spices, sauces, and a truckload of vegetables or chicken. Whereas in chilli garlic noodles, the main flavoring agents are the red chilies and the garlic. The addition of vegetables is optional and only selective sauces are added.
Prep Work For Noodles
The chili garlic noodles are a fiery treat. We will be using a few basic Indo-Chinese ingredients and high heat to achieve the smoky spiciness that makes these noodles the ultimate comfort food. Noodles: Start off with buying a packet of good-quality dry noodles. One must stress on quality because cheaper varieties usually turn out mushy or stick to each other. The texture is paramount in any kind of noodles recipe and you don’t want clumpy noodles ruining that for you. What you can use – Veg/Egg Hakka noodles, whole grain noodles, or any local variety of stir-fry noodles (thin crinkly looking noodles). Don’t buy thicker ones like udon noodles or extremely thin ones like rice or glass noodles (vermicelli). Cook the noodles according to package instructions and set them aside to drain. Rinse with water to remove excess starch from the boiled noodles. Toss in a tablespoon of oil (preferably sesame oil) to get rid of any stickiness and to separate the noodle strands. Let them sit in the colander. Sauce: I prefer using the Indian variety of dry red chilies for the fiery chili garlic noodles. Next, the essential essence of the sauce is finely chopped ginger. The small bits of garlic when fried in oil with red chili create one flavor bomb. You can use red chili paste as well but then combine a teaspoon of brown sugar to balance the heat. Vegetables: You can add any vegetables of choice to these garlic noodles. Carrots, bell peppers, onion, capsicum, cabbage, broccoli, mushrooms, or green leafy vegetables are perfect to stir fry with noodles. If you are not a big fan of veggies then only stick with onions.
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Is this a vegan noodles recipe? Yes, this is a vegan, dairy-free, and nut-free stir-fry noodles recipe. To make it gluten-free use specific gluten-free dry noodles. Can I add chicken or egg to the noodles? Yes, you can. From shredded boneless chicken, shrimps, bacon, to whisked egg, you can add either of these along with vegetables while stir-frying. How to store and reheat the chilli garlic noodles? Store the leftover chili garlic noodles in an airtight container for 2 – 3 days in the refrigerator. Make sure noodles are at room temperature while storing. Reheat them in a microwave or a stir-fry pan in a teaspoon of oil. How to use the leftover/extra boiled noodles? You can use fry the leftover boiled noodles till crispy and use them to make Asian Crispy Noodles Salad or Indian Style Chinese Bhel Puri. You can store fried noodles for a week. Or you can use them to make Tik Tok Style Chili Oil Noodles.
Indian-Chinese Main-Course Recipes
Vegetables in Hot Garlic Sauce Crispy Chilli Baby Corn Veg Manchurian Gravy Kung Pao Chicken Chilli Mushroom Chili Paneer For more such fun recipes in your life subscribe to our weekly newsletter or follow us on Instagram and Youtube for video recipes.
