American Chop suey & Chinese Veg Noodles Recipe

Yesterday I tried both the dishes with a packet of whole wheat plain noodles. They came out very well and my hubby rated excellent for both.

I have seen american chopsuey in restaurants but never tasted it. When my MIL came here she told about this which she had watched in a cookery show. I was googling and finally I got Tarla Dalal’s recipe. I made some changes in the recipe. As I am not aware of the taste, I was waiting for my husband’s comment. He told it tasted like in restaurant. I was very happy and raised my collar. But when you want to try this, you should not mind about your diet /calories.

AMERICAN CHOP SUEY

Ingredients

• Noodles – 100gms
• Oil – to deep fry

To Saute:

• Carrot – 1/2 (cut into thin strips of 1 inch length)
• Bell pepper – 1/4 (-do-)
• Big Onion – 1/2 (-do-)
• Ajino motto – A pinch
• Oil – a tbsp

For sauce:

• Vinegar – 2 tsp (I used chilli vinegar, but brown vinegar is given in the actual recipe)
• Sugar – 2 tsp
• Corn flour – 1 tbsp
• Soya sauce –1/2 -  1 tsp
• Tomato ketchup – 4 tsp (adjust as per your taste)
• Water – 1/2 cup

Method

**Basic noodles preparation:

Add a tsp of oil(prevents sticking)  and salt to a bowl of water. Put the noodles, boil for 10 mins (Do not overcook) and immediately strain it in a colander by adding cold water (to take off the extra starch ). Let it cool. For this chop suey. Deep  fry in batches till crispy & place it on a absorbing paper.

 

For Chop suey:

• Place the fried noodles apart.
• Cut the veggies as mentioned above and saute it well (till it gets cooked) with a tbsp of oil in a kadai. Set aside.
• Then Place all the ingredients of the sauce in a vessel, mix well and
  put to boil. Go on cooking and stirring until the sauce is thick.  Add more water if necessary.. Check for the taste,(it should be sweetish). If you want, you can add more ketchup at this point and mix well.

• Heat a kadai with little oil and mix the fried noodles, sautéed veggies and sauce. (pour the required amount of sauce only) (If its more, U can refrigerate and use it for making Manchurian)

Serve Hot and Enjoy!!!

 








VARIATIONS:

In the actual recipe it is given to mix some boiled noodles,veggies ,sauce and then topped with fried noodles. But I just added veggies and sauce to the fried noodles. I din't use boiled noodles here..SO if u wish u can follow this method also:)

CHINESE VEG NOODLES

I usually make Veg Fried Rice but this is the first time I made with noodles. I just used the same method of making fried rice which resulted in a yummy, restaurant like noodles. I was elated, patted myself and told THEARITTA DEE. 

Ingredients:

• Plain Noodles – 100 gm
• Carrot – 2 nos (Cut into thin strips of 1 inch length)
• Capsicum – 1/2 (-do-)
• Cabbage – 1/2 cup (-do-)
• Onion – 1 no (slice cut)
• Ginger – 1 inch (finely chopped )
• Garlic – 5 flakes (Finely chopped)
• Ajino motto – 1/4 tsp
• Soya sauce – 1/2 tsp
• White pepper powder – 1 tsp (increase as per your wish)
• Sugar – a pinch
• salt – As needed
• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Spring onions – to decorate. (I din't have. So I used chopped coriander stem)

Method:

• Chop all the veggies as said above and set aside.
• Do the **basic noodles preparation. Once its cool. Set apart.

• Heat oil in a kadai and add the chopped ginger, garlic and onion pieces..
• Saute well and then add the chopped veggies, salt and sugar so that the color doesn’t change and will be cooked quickly. Saute till they are completely cooked.Saute in a medium flame.
• Then add the Ajino motto, soya sauce, white pepper powder and mix well.

• Finally add the noodles gently by stirring and fry till noodles become steaming hot. I used a fork like ladle so that the noodles don’t break.

 

Serve hot with tomato sauce/ketchup. 

Hope you will try both the dishes and let me know:)
Catch you all by next week. TAKE CARE, BYE.

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PODI VARIETIES / PODI FOR RICE

I have shared the recipes of 4 different podi recipes which we have with rice/idli/dosa along with sesame oil. Even bachelors can try this by grinding them in lots and store in an air tight container. After coming from the tiresome job , they can just mix this podi in rice and enjoy with papad for a simple , quick n delightful dinner !!
Here are the podis,

1. INSTANT POTTUKADALAI PODI / FRIED GRAM DAL POWDER
This podi is served in most of the restaurants as paruppu podi!! My mom used to make it like this..
Ingredients:

• Fried gram dal / DALIA – 1 handful / 1/4 cup
• Red chilly – 2 nos
• Pepper corns – 10 - 15 nos (depends on ur taste)
• Garlic flakes – 4 nos ( skin removed, finely chopped )
• Salt – as needed.

Method:

• Grind all the above into a fine powder and store it in an airtight container.

No roasting part is needed here .Hope bachelors would find it useful!!
It tastes heaven when mixed with plain rice adding ghee or sesame oil and paired with vatha kuzhambu.  a 

side dish!!

2.TOOR DAL POWDER / PARUPPU PODI

My MIL used to follow this method.I learnt it from her..
Ingredients:

• Toor dal – 1/4 cup
• Red chilly – 2 nos
• Pepper corns – 10 nos
• Garlic flakes – 4 nos(Skin removed)
• Oil – 1 tsp
• Salt – to taste

Method:

• Heat a kadai with very little oil and roast the toor dal along with red chilly till nice aroma arises(toor dal will turn little golden brown).
• Let it cool.Grind this into a powder by running the mixie (Should be slightly coarse).
• Now add the pepper corns and garlic flakes.
• Run the mixie once or twice.Check for salt.
• No problem even if the salt is less,we can add while mixing with rice..
• Store it in an airtight container.

The same way u can do it with moong dal…
Mix  with plain rice along with sesame oil /ghee .

3.CORIANDER SEEDS POWDER

This recipe is also from my MIL.Its very good to control Pitham (Bile secretions).So i have this podi regularly in my lunch.

Ingredients:

• Dry coriander seeds/Dhania – 1/4 cup
• Red chilly – 1 no
• Pepper corns – 10 – 15 nos.
• Garlic flakes – 5 nos(Skin removed)
• Jeera – 1 tsp
• Salt – to taste.

Method:

• Heat a kadai and dry roast coriander seeds,pepper, jeera and red chilly till nice aroma arises(In Medium flame just 1-2 min roasting is sufficient).
• Cool and Grind all the above items with required salt to make a powder.
• Now add the garlic flakes and run the mixie once.
• Store it in  an airtight container.. 

It tastes great when mixed with plain rice and sesame oil (of course with papad!!).



4.IDLY MILAGAI PODI

Last but not the least ,idly podi is our favorite.My father used to have at least one idly or dosa with podi at the end.He says eating with podi gives the fulfillment for tiffin.The recipe i have given is my mom’s version.Its a big hit among my dad’s friends.They used to ask the recipe for this idly podi I learnt this from her and i made it yesterday for the first time. My hubby just loved it.He liked the garlic flavor in it..

Ingredients

• Urad dal – 1/4 cup
• Channa dal / Kadalai paruppu – 1/8 cup
• Red chilly – 12  nos(increase if u need spicy)
• Curry leaves -  a sprig
• Garlic flakes –7-8 nos
• Asafetida – 2 pinches
• Oil – 1 tsp
• Salt – as needed.

Method:

• Heat a kadai with little oil and roast the dals with red chilly.
• Add a pinch of hing/asafetida and roast it till the dals turn golden brown.Switch off the flame and add the curry leaves.
• Mix it well so that the curry leaves will get dried in that heat.
• Cool and grind it to a coarse powder without adding salt.
• Now add the salt and garlic flakes and run the mixie twice.

Garlic flavored idly podi is ready to serve with idly/dosa along with gingely/sesame oil.

Technorati Tags: HOME MADE PODI,HOME MADE SPICY POWDERS,BACHELOR POWDERS,PODI FOR RICE,POWDERS FOR RICE,BACHELORS COOKING. lUNCH BOX RECIPE.

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