Asian Noodles to Relish

OODLES TO THE NOODLES!

We all love noodles, and why not? They are so tasty and so versatile! Although a lot of negative publicity is done around them, they are still around and are savoured as a staple in several countries. The origin of noodles dates back to 4000 years ago in China. At present, noodles are available in more than 30 varieties in different parts of the world. You will be surprised to know that the humble bowl of noodles is full of nutrients and has now reached even space, all thanks to technology. It was only after World War II that noodles became an integral part of Chinese food history. This 4000-year-old food item has some really interesting and shocking facts associated with it that no one can ever imagine.

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Noodles or Chow Mein is one of the forms of an authentic dish called, in Mandarin, “ch’ao mien”, or “stir-fried noodles”. The authentic dish is prepared by frying boiled noodles with a few bits of meat and vegetables. Those crisp noodles served in this country are not found in China. Literal meaning. “Stir-fried noodles”. Chow Mein is Chinese stir-fried noodles with vegetables and sometimes meat or tofu. Although food historians can’t really agree on who made the first chow Mein and when, this stir-fry dish, whose name comes from the Mandarin chǎomiàn and Taishanese chāu-mèing (lit. fried noodles) had probably originated in Northern China. Chow Mein is one of the all-time favourite dishes popular throughout the Chinese diaspora and appears on the menus of most Chinese restaurants abroad. It is particularly popular in India, Nepal, the UK, and the US.

Here are a few easy-to-toss and relish recipes with Noodles!

Recipe-1] CHIN THAI NOODLES

Ingredients

Method

1 packet of noodles, boiled To stir fry: 2 tbsp. oil 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped 1 tsp ginger, chopped 3-4 spring onions, sliced 2-3 red chillies, slit 2-3 green chillies, slit ½ cup carrots, shredded ½ cup red/ yellow capsicum, shredded ½ cup snow peas, blanched Salt and pepper to taste 1-2 tsp soya sauce 1-2 tsp Thai red chilli sauce 1-2 tsp Thai sweet chilli sauce 1 cup stock/water ¼ tsp sugar 4-5 no fresh basil leaves 3-4 pieces of lemon grass 3-4 no lemon leaves 2-3 tsp roasted crushed peanuts 2-3 tsp spring onion greens, chopped

1. Pre-prepare all the ingredients for the recipe as listed. 2. Start with the boiling of the noodles, and once they are just cooked, remove from the hot boiling water, refresh with cold water, sprinkle a little oil and toss. Keep aside. 3. Heat oil in a wok/ pan and add in the lemon grass, ginger, garlic, onions, chillies and stir for 1 min. 4. Add the assorted veggies and sauté for 1 minute. 5. Add the sauces, seasonings, a little water/stock, and cook for 1-2 minutes. 6. Add the noodles, and also add a variety of other ingredients as desired, such as stir-fried, boiled/roasted chicken/ shrimps/ prawns/fish cubes. 4. For the veg options, we can use tofu/mushrooms as well. Add in the peanuts and greens at the end and serve hot.

Recipe-2] HIDDEN TREASURE NOODLES

Ingredients

Method

1 packet of noodles, boiled To stir fry: 2 tbsp. oil 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped 1 tsp ginger, chopped 3-4 spring onions, sliced 2-3 green chillies, slit ½ cup carrots, shredded ½ cup white cabbage, shredded ½ cup green capsicum, shredded Salt and pepper to taste 2 tsp soya sauce 2 tsp chilli vinegar 2 tsp red chilli sauce 1 tsp green chilli sauce ¼ tsp sugar ½ cup sliced mushrooms ½ cup sliced Babycorn Water-1/4 cup 2-3 tbsp. spring onion greens

1. Pre-prepare the ingredients as per the recipe. 2. Start with the boiling of the noodles, once just cooked, remove from the boiling water and refresh with cold water, sprinkle a little oil and toss, keep aside. 3. Heat oil in a wok/ pan and saute the ginger, garlic, onions and chillies, add in the assorted veggies as per choice and add seasonings, sauces, a little water and cook for 1-2 mins. 4. Add in the boiled noodles, cook for 2-3 mins, add in the non-veg options if any, like boiled/shredded chicken/fish/shrimps/eggs, etc and serve hot, garnished with the greens. chillies,

Recipe-3] PEPPERY CHICKEN NOODLES

Ingredients

Method

1 packet of noodles, boiled To stir fry: 2 tbsp. oil 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped 1 tsp ginger, chopped 3-4 spring onions, sliced 2-3 green chillies, slit 1-2 red chillies, shredded 1-2 no star anise ½ cup yellow capsicum, shredded ½ cup red capsicum, shredded ½ cup broccoli florets, blanched ½ cup zucchini slices, blanched 1 cup shredded boneless chicken pieces, boiled Salt and pepper to taste 2 tsp soya sauce 2 tsp Szechuan sauce 1 tsp green chilli sauce ¼ tsp sugar 2-3 tbsp. sliced water chestnuts 2 tsp white vinegar with green chillies 2-3 tsp coriander leaves, chopped 2-3 tsp spring onion greens, chopped

1. Pre-prepare all the ingredients for the dish as per the recipe. 2. Start with the boiling of the noodles, drain them once just cooked, refresh with cold water, sprinkle a little oil over them, toss and keep aside. 3. Heat oil in a wok, add the ingredients one by one, and start sautéing the ginger, garlic, chillies, and onions for a few seconds. 3. Add in the assortment of vegetables as per choice and chicken/ meat/ fish, etc, as well. 4. Add in the sauces, seasonings and a little water and cook for 3-4 mins on a low flame. 5. Now add in the boiled noodles, sliced water chestnuts, adjust seasonings to taste and cook for 2-3 mins, turn off the flame, add in the greens for garnish and serve hot.

Recipe-4] SEAFOOD TOSSED NOODLES

Ingredients

Method

1 packet of noodles, boiled To stir fry: 2 tbsp. oil 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped 1 tsp ginger, chopped 3-4 spring onions, sliced 2-3 pieces of lemon grass 3-4 no fresh basil leaves 1 cup prawns, shelled, cleaned, washed 1 cup boneless fish cubes 2 eggs, scrambled Salt and pepper to taste 2 tsp soya sauce 2 tsp red chilli sauce 2 tsp chilli vinegar ½ cup carrots, shredded ½ cup green capsicum, shredded 2-3 tbsp. spring onion greens, chopped

1. Pre-prepare the ingredients as per the list. 2. Start with the boiling of the noodles, drain them once just cooked, refresh with cold water, sprinkle a little oil on them, toss and keep aside. 3. Heat oil in a wok, start by sautéing the ginger, garlic, chillies, onions, lemon grass, basil leaves and cook for 30 seconds. 4. Add in the assorted seafood of your choice and cook for 1-2 mins, add in the veggies, sauces, seasonings and add in a little water/stock just to cook up the mixture a little for a few mins, add in the cooked noodles and toss them well. 5. Cook for 2-3 mins, add in the scrambled eggs for added taste and eye appeal, along with greens to garnish and serve hot.

Recipe- 5] WOK TOSSED VEGGIE NOODLES

Ingredients

Method

1 packet of noodles, boiled To stir fry: 2 tbsp. oil 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped 1 tsp ginger, chopped 3-4 spring onions, sliced 1 cup assorted mushrooms, sliced ½ cup bean sprouts ½ cup water chestnuts, sliced ½ cup bamboo shoots, sliced ½ cup mix veggies like carrots, beans, capsicums, shredded. Salt and pepper to taste 2 tsp soya sauce 2 tsp red chilli sauce 2 tsp chilli vinegar ¼ cup stock/water 2 tsp Schezuan sauce 2-3 tbsp. spring onion greens, chopped

1. Pre-prepare all the ingredients as per the recipe listed. 2. Start by cooking up the noodles first, boil them until just cooked, refresh with chilled water, add a little oil and toss them. Keep aside. 3. Heat oil in a wok/ pan and saute the ginger, garlic, chillies, and onions for a few seconds. 4. Add in the assorted veggies as per choice and toss them for a few seconds. 5. Add seasonings, sauces, a little water/stock and cook for 2-3 mins. 6. Now add in the cooked noodles, toss well, adjust the flavour of the sauces/ seasonings and cook for 2-3 mins. Serve hot, garnished with greens.

Recipe- 6] CHEF’S SPECIAL NOODLES

Ingredients

Method

1 packet of noodles, boiled To stir fry: 2 tbsp. oil 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped 1 tsp ginger, chopped 3-4 spring onions, sliced ½ cup Babycorn, sliced, blanched ½ cup green/yellow zucchini, sliced, blanched ½ cup broccoli, florets, blanched ½ cup sliced/ shredded roast chicken/ meat 3-4 sliced chicken sausages 2 tsp soya sauce 2 tsp red chilli sauce 2 tsp green chilli sauce 2 tsp peanut butter 2 tsp tomato ketchup ¼ cup water/stock 2 -3 tsp roasted crushed peanuts 2-3 tsp spring onion greens, chopped 2-3 tsp chilli vinegar

1. Pre-prepare the ingredients for the recipe as listed. 2. Start with boiling the noodles, cook them until just done and refresh with cold water. Sprinkle a little oil and toss, keep aside. 3. Heat oil in a wok/ pan and saute the ginger, garlic, chillies, and onions for a few seconds. 4. Add in the assorted veggies and toss them with seasonings, sauces to taste and a little water to cook. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes. 5. Now add in the non-veg ingredients, which can be pre-cooked and added. Also, add the boiled/cooked noodles and give it a nice mix. Cook for 2-3 mins and adjust the seasonings/ sauces as per taste. 6. Serve hot, garnished with peanuts, greens or even a double-fried egg.

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