Indo-Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice

I love Indo-chinese fried rice so much that I may think of abandoning (veg) biryani for this :) The love for it has never once diminished in my heart. I was miserable when I didn't find a good tasting fried rice out here. Whenever I visit India, 70% of the time I am having fried rice and manchow soup along with chicken lollipops :) in the restaurants.

When in a restaurant I behave like a desperate kid with zero patience till I serve the rice on my place and start feeding myself. After I am done I start looking into others plate greedily lol {yeh don't roll your eyes, I am sure you have your story about your fav dish hehe}

I have tried making restaurant style fried rice but was not all there. I had to make my peace with a mediocre version of it. But not for long, till I started adding and deleting sauces in it. Finally, I was happy with this recipe and mind you no msg here! Many restaurants add msg in their dishes and that's why it tastes simply YUM!

Inchins Bamboo Garden has a nice fried rice on their menu. Also, Thai fried rice is another dish which satisfies my taste buds. Last but not the least Hibachi restaurants butter loaded rich fried rice is not to be missed!
You may also enjoy chicken drumsticks, manchow soup from my blog.

So here is my version of fried rice for you to enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice soaked and drained
• 1 1/4cups veggies chopped finely ( carrots, green beans, capsicum, mushroom)
• 3 stalks of green onions(spring onions) chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 2 garlic pods minced
• 1 green chili optional
• 1 egg ( pure vegetarians can drop it from the recipe)
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp butter

Preparation:

• To cook rice, take a tall utensil, bring 3-4 cups of water to a boil and add the rinsed and drained rice in it. Cook for about 6-7 minutes and drain out the water in a colander. Your rice should be fluffy and not sticking to each other. Spread it on a plate if you want. 
• Take a wok or nonstick pan, work on a high flame, heat oil, and butter, then add garlic keep sauteeing quickly.
• Drop an egg in the wok and keep stirring till the egg is cooked (takes just a minute or so)
• Add all the chopped vegetables along with white part of spring onions and saute for a couple of minutes.
• Add the cooked rice and gently fold it in the veggies. 
• Now add soy sauce, pepper, salt to taste and mix everything together. 
• Garnish with remaining green onions and serve hot with other sauces of your choice and indo chinese dishes like manchow soup, chicken lollipops etc.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes:* Try to work on high flame while making this rice dish, and more butter/oil you add more taste and glaze you get on your rice. Addition of egg imparts great taste and aroma to the rice, I cannot miss adding it :) In the assortment of veggies that you use, don't miss on carrots and beans.

Health Benefits: All the vegetables that you incorporate in the fried rice are loaded with fibre, carbs, minerals and vitamins. If using brown rice, it will be provide you less cal and less carbs. Always use soy sauce with low sodium version.

Manchow Vegetable Soup

This heavenly tasting soup is a darling in my house. My son loves it so much that he keeps requesting/demanding to make it every week. Thanks to this spicy tasting soup that he has learnt to enjoy other spicy dishes churning out of my kitchen :)

Manchow soup has been one of my favorite oriental  Indo-Chinese soups from day 1. I tasted it for the first time, when I was in my teens and till today I don't exit an Indo-Chinese restaurant until I have tasted it. It is hard to find that 'hit the spot' taste in the restaurants out here so I finally started trying out recipes and zeroed in on this recipe. Have been making it from past few years :) so you can be rest assured that it is well tried and tested/tasted and enjoyed!

My senses love the aromatic blend of ginger, garlic and chillies. It is very nostalgic for me when I bring these 3 ingredients together on my chopping board! I always take a minute to take deep breaths to get that aroma in :):) Best part of this soup is that you get the liberty of adding so many vegetables into it like green beans, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, green onions, capsicum, cauliflower etc etc. What more a mother wants than to see all that goodness going into the tummy of her little ones :) Then there are spices- chilli paste, hot sauce, vinegar etc. which basically gets that hot, spicy, sour taste into the soup which is so soul satisfying!

Only downside in making this soup is it requires lots of cutting and chopping:) If you have a cutting gadget/processor, go for it by all means. I enjoy my chopping board and a good sharp knife!

Let us take a look at this recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vegetables chopped finely (carrots, cabbage, green beans, mushroom)
• 1 tsp each ginger, garlic, green chillies finely chopped
• 5 cups vegetable stock 
• 2 tsp distilled vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
• 2 tsp red chilli sauce
• 1/2 tsp green chilli sauce
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 cup fried noodles to garnish
• 3 tbsp green onion/spring onion to garnish

Preparation:

• Heat oil in a wok or a soup pot, keep on high flame, add ginger garlic green chillies and toss quickly, Add all the chopped vegetables+1 tbsp of spring onions and saute for a minute or two. 
• Pour vegetable stock and mix everything together once. 
• Add red chilli sauce, green chilli sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, stir once and bring to a boil. 
• Make a mixture of corn starch and little water, pour into the soup while you stir continuously else starch lumps may form. 
• Add black pepper and taste the soup, you can adjust the sauces at this point. Simmer the soup till it thickens. 
• Serve hot soup in a bowl topped with fried noodles, spring onions. Keep bowls of soy sauce, vinegar with green chillies and hot sauce for adjusting the taste as you like :) 
• I have noticed that when kids get that privilege of adding extra sauces/condiments by themselves, they tend to eat and enjoy more cause they feel like they are the sous chefs :)

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefits: All the vegetables that you incorporate in the soup are loaded with fibre, carbs, minerals and vitamins. It a filling appetiser and the blend of spices that go into the soup gives that extra kick to your taste buds along with providing anti-inflammatory, antibacterial properties. Broth based soups are always low on calories and filling which in turn will make you eat less food. You only have to keep an eye on sodium intake. Add less salt as soy sauce contains sodium.

Vegetable Lo Mein (Noodles)

Forget about takeouts and make this Lo Mein in just a few minutes at home. A much healthier version where you can control the sweetness(sugar) of this homemade sauce. Kids are our first priority in just about anything we do. When it comes to eating I think we cannot go beyond them :) Yes, they are life changers hehe. Noodles is one of their favorite food, isn't it? I am always looking to try out new dishes with noodles and pasta. When I was first introduced to noodles (maggi :)), I had not liked it one bit, seriously I am not kidding. After few years not sure how and when it became one of my fav fast food. I always liked it slurpy and not dry.

VEGETABLE LO MEIN

So now I am seeing my kid enjoying all sorts of noodles and pasta. Lo Mein is more loved in my house because of its sweet sauce and egg based noodles. In fact, I call it a refrigerator cleaner dish (lol), you can use all of the leftover vegetables that's there in the fridge to make this veg lo mein. Enjoy making this simple yet delicious dish Veg Lo Mein.

Let us check the recipe,

Ingredients:

• 1 packet (around 1/2 lb) Lo Mein Noodles (preferably any egg based noodles)(Vegetarians can use any other kind of noodles)
• 1/2 cup cabbage shredded
• 1 small carrot julienned 
• 2 tbsp chopped spring onions (plus some more for garnish)
• 1 bell pepper (capsicum) chopped
• 5-6 beans chopped
• (use any of your fav vegetables, mushroom, baby corn, bok choy, snow peas, spinach etc)
• 2 pods of garlic chopped
• salt as per taste
• 1 tbsp oil
  

for the Sauce: 

• 2 tbsp soy sauce ( or more)
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar (or honey)
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp hot sauce (Sriracha)
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Preparation:

• Cook the noodles as per the packet instruction. Usually, add it in the boiling water for a minute or 2 and drain the water, it should be al dente.
• In a bowl add all the ingredients of the sauce and mix well, keep aside.
• In a wok or wide mouth pan, heat oil and add garlic along with all the chopped vegetables and stir them quickly. Cook for just a few minutes as we want it to stay crunchy. 
• Now add salt as per your taste and mix the cooked noodles in it. 
• Slowly pour the sauce over it and toss well. Taste and adjust hot sauce, soy sauce as per your taste.
• Your Lo Mein is ready to be enjoyed. Sprinkle some spring onion as garnish and serve hot!

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefits: Intake of all healthy veggies in this Lo Mein is a big plus providing you the required vitamins and minerals. Noodles eaten in portion will give you sufficient carbs and protein(egg). It is a filling meal. Always use low sodium Soy sauce.

Chicken Drumsticks/Lollipops

Chicken Drumsticks or Chicken Lollipops is one of my all-time favorite appetizers. Manchow soup and drums of heaven(chicken drumsticks) are my permanent dishes to order from the menu when I step in any Indo-Chinese restaurant. Finally, I got a recipe that I can make at home and relish whenever I want to. It comes out so good that it will be on a repeat mode in your list of to-do chicken dishes :)

Let's get straight to the making of these heavenly drumsticks as the name suggests:

CHICKEN LOLLIPOPS/DRUMSTICKS

Ingredients:

• 12 chicken wings
• 2 tbsp soya sauce (low sodium)
• 2 tbsp chilli sauce
• 1 tbsp chilli vinegar
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/4th tsp pepper powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/4th tsp chilli powder
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1/4th tsp soya sauce( low sodium )
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs ( or more )
• salt as per taste (use less as we are using soya sauce too)
• 2 cups oil to fry

  

  DRUMS OF HEAVEN

Preparation:

• Clean and rinse chicken wings, pat dry and with a sharp knife make a cut at the base of the wing and scrape all the flesh upwards making a lollipop. The bone is revealed in the form of a stick, with the flesh gathered on top, so it looks like a lollipop. (this technique is called frenching)
• Make a marinade by adding soy sauce, chilli sauce, chilli vinegar, ginger garlic paste, pepper powder, salt. Pour this marinade over chicken lollipops, mix properly and refrigerate it for 2-3 hours. 
• In a bowl crack open 2 eggs, whisk it briefly, add chilli powder, corn starch, salt and soya sauce. Mix everything together. In another bowl keep bread crumbs ready.
• Take one lollipop at a time, dip in this egg mixture, and then roll it in bread crumbs.
• Heat oil in a kadai or dutch oven, on med-high heat, fry chicken lollipops in batches, until golden brown and till cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain briefly before serving. Serve with chutney or your favorite sauce for dipping.
  

Njoy!!

Notes: Adjust the chilli sauce and soya sauce as per your taste.

Health Benefits: Chicken is loaded with proteins which aids to build muscles, it also helps to reduce PMS symptoms :) yay!! also helps to build your bones strong, it boosts immunity etc