Too hot to handle

Down foodpath

Indo-Chinese food has become such a comfort food for us that even high-end restaurants have a dedicated section.

The legendary manchurian, spicy gravy and saucy noodles, batter-fried mix in chilli garlic sauce are items regularly order by customers. None of these is similar to the dishes that are actually eaten in China.

Well, you can’t really blame the customers. Most Indians like their food to be spicy. The meal seems incomplete if the spice doesn’t hit you. The Chinese quietly roll their eyes when they come down and taste what we call “Chinese”. Thankfully, they can’t say anything else since we’ve generously named it Indo-Chinese, our own version.

It’s also quite easy to make these Indo-Chinese dishes. We get to purchase the mixes quite easily in the market that sometimes all we have to do is add the veggies or meat and add the sauce and you’re done. We can also make it from scratch, but let’s be real, not everyone has the time or patience for it.

Then there’s our love for momos that many of us have considered to be Indo-Chinese. It’s not though. Momos and its varients have a whole another history to it.

Nevertheless, we love the Schezwan sauce that’s served with the hot steaming momos. No matter which part of Bengaluru you live in, there’s always one momo-wala you often go to because the sauce they offer is delicious. There are also momo variants that have it cooked in the sauce. That’s one of my favourite kind.

Szechuan cuisine is from a style of Chinese cuisine that’s originated from Sichuan Province of China. It gets it spiciness and pungency from garlic, chilli peppers and of course, Sichuan pepper.

And since we like the spice, ordering a vegetarian or chicken Schezwan noodles is inevitable. It’s delicious and you don’t need a gravy (unless you are particular about it) to have with it.

It’s a one-stop meal that satisfies your soul and stomach at the same time. And if you’re not in the mood to order in, try making it at home. The ingredients are easy to acquire and the methods are simple to follow as well.

Ingredients

Hakka noodles, 150 gm

Water, 10 cups

Boneless chicken breast, 200 gm

French beans, 3

Red and green capsicums, 1/2

Chopped garlic, 1 tbsp

Chopped green onions, 2 tbsp

Oil, 1 tsp

Schezwan sauce, 2 tbsp

Vinegar, 1 tsp

Olive oil, 2 tbsp

Pepper powder, 1/4 tsp

Salt, as required

Spring onion greens for garnish

Method

Boil the water in a wide pan. Add the noodles and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Strain the noodles and rinse it in cold water.

Toss it gently in oil so that the noodles don’t stick. Keep it aside till needed.

Chop the vegetables lengthwise and the chicken into strips.

In a wide pan, heat some oil and add the chicken strips. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes till it’s cooked and turns slightly brown.

Remove the chicken from the pan and keep it aside.

In the same pan, heat some oil, add garlic and saute till golden brown.

Add the chopped vegetables one by one. Stir each for a couple of minutes. Make sure that the vegetables soften.

On medium heat, add the Schezwan sauce, pepper powder and sauce. Give it a quick stir and add the chicken. Mix well.

Finally, add the noodles and mix well. Make sure the sauce coats the noodles.

Add vinegar and give it a good stir.

Add the spring onions as the garnish and serve hot.