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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Indo-Chinese "American Chopsuey"

Indo- Chinese is one of a kind cuisine! It is nothing like Indian nor authentic Chinese. The dish names ...the flavors...everything is unique. What "American Chopsuey" (similar to Chili mac- macaroni with beef) is to a American, is very different from the Indo-Chinese "American" chopsuey. I have no clue...why the word "american' was in the dish name!! Maybe anything 'american' sounded cool ;) In Pune, I have even had a "American" Shev Batata Dahi Puri!!! Instead of puris, the base was something similar to 'Ritz' crackers.
The Indo-Chinese American chopsuey is a spicy-tangy thick soup with vegetables topped with crunchy fried noodles. There are many variations in this recipe too, depending in which part of India you get it!

 So here goes my recipe for a "Indo-Chinese Vegeterian American ChopSuey":

Ingredients: makes 6-7 servings
1 cup Bean sprouts ( I used caned ones, but fresh are great!)
1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage
1/2cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup bamboo shoots (I used caned ones)
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3tbsp  corn starch
2tbsp Light soy sauce
1tbsp Hot and sweet sauce
1tsp Ginger-garlic paste
1tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp Sambal Olek chili paste
1/2tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2tsp oil
salt
Cilantro for garnish
4-5 cups water

"La Choy" Chow mein noodles

Method:
1) Soup: In a large pot, heat 2tsp oil, add the chopped vegetables and saute.Add the ginger garlic paste and the water.
2) Mix the cornstarch into smooth paste in little water. Add to the above pot and stir. Add the sauces,spices salt and stir. Check for seasoning. The soup should be mildly sour and spicy to your taste.
3) Let it boil till it thickens.
4) Serve hot! While serving, place the soup in the serving bowl, top with the crunchy chow mein noodles, cilantro and chopped green onion.

Enjoy a steaming bowl of this spicy-tangy-crunchy bowl of "American Chopsuey" !