Indians love their Indo-Chinese food (Chinese cuisine with an Indian touch!) and noodles top the long list of Indo-Chinese dishes that we are mad about! These noodles are an ode to the spice and fiery taste of Indians world over. A few days back, we had a simple lunch of spicy Schezwan Noodles using simple pantry ingredients! All I used was a packet of dry noodles, some fresh vegetables and aromatics which you would add to any noodle stir fry and the piece de resistance, Schezwan Chutney, store bought. My favorite is Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney which has the uber taste we love; spicy, sweet, and savory and a twinge of sourness from the vinegar in the chutney. I love this brand of schezwan chutney/sauce so much; I have been slathering them in sandwiches and dipping my dosas in them too and this is no sponsored post!
BASIC INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE SCHEZWAN NOODLES:
A packet of dry noodles; any favorite brand you prefer, but again, I like Ching’s Secret vegetable noodles which is easily available in Indian stores or online. Aromatics like garlic, onions and a dash of additional spice/heat; some dry red chilies or green chilies. Adding additional chilies is optional, but I love the flavor it adds to the noodles. A bunch of fresh vegetables like carrots, capsicum/bell peppers, cabbage etc. or any other you have like mushrooms, green beans etc. Just rummage through your fridge and add what you like in your noodles. The main flavor bomb in these Schezwan noodles; Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney! A spicy, thick chutney like condiment with ginger, garlic, fiery chilies, Schezwan pepper and amazing Indian spices! A dash of this goes a long way! You can use your favorite brand or make your own homemade schezwan sauce. Finally, a secret spice I love adding to my noodles which gives it a lovely distinct aroma which our family loves; fennel seeds or saunf as we Indians call it! This is not a spice you would normally add in Chinese food, but hey! We love it!
When we used to bring Chinese takeout from a local restaurant, their noodles had this distinct aroma which our family loved. With lots of experimenting, I came upon fennel seeds which totally mimicked that flavor and aroma! So, there you go! Add it or don’t! Your choice foodies! I did not use any soy sauce as the one that I had was dark soy sauce and I did not want to disturb the color of my noodles! I just served it on the side which my husband loves to splash on any noodles! That is it! These are the main ingredients you will need. But then you could garnish the dish with cilantro, green onions, stir in soy sauce, vinegar etc.,all depending upon your palate and your family’s taste.
HOW TO MAKE THESE NOODLES:
Easy peasy foodies! Most of the time is spent in prepping the ingredients like chopping and boiling the noodles. Just boil noodles according to package instructions and set aside. Prep all the vegetables. Saute your choice of vegetables along with aromatics like onions and garlic (plenty of it) until just crisp and tender; we need that crunch in those veggies. Then stir in cooked noodles, schezwan chutney sauce and salt to taste. Give it a good stir, all on medium high heat and when totally heated through and all flavors are well amalgamated, it is done! Dig in! Doesn’t it sound like made in a jiffy kinda dish? I am sure your family will love it; I know my hubby and I enjoyed it thoroughly and to cool things of, we sipped on a cooling Pomegranate Beet Lassi which was perfect to bring the fiery feel on our palate down!
Time to make these noodles in your kitchen now don’t you think? Do give this lip smacking easy dish a try; you will be making this ready in 10 minutes kinda noodles quite often! Enjoy and Happy Cooking!
Here are some more Indo-Chinese delights you can try:
Vegetable Manchow Soup Mushroom Fried Rice Easy Sweet Corn Soup Indo-Chinese Vegetable Puffs
Now, let us see how to make a super easy, ready in a jiffy Schezwan Vegetable Noodles:
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Cook Time: 12 minutes
1 packet dry noodles (I used Ching’s Secret brand) 1 tsp saunf/fennel seeds 1 medium sized onion, sliced 4 to 5 cloves of garlic, finely minced 2 cups shredded cabbage 1 cup julienned carrots 1 cup julienned bell pepper/capsimum 2 tbsp of Schezwan Chutney (homemade or store bought; I used Ching’s Secret brand) Dash of black pepper powder Salt to taste 3 tbsp oil Optional: Finely chopped cilantro and/or green onions for garnish Dash of vinegar just before removing from heat Soy sauce on the side
Instructions Notes Use any favorite brand of schezwan chutney or even make your own at home. Choice of vegetable is yours; just make sure they gel with Chinese flavors! Do not overcook the noodles or they will turn mushy in the pan on further cooking! We need to boil them al dente or with still a bite in them. They will continue to cook in the pan with the vegetables. The same recipe can be followed to make schezwan fried rice! If you like my posts and recipes, do not forget to Pin, Share, comment in the box below or like my Facebook page
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