I have been having this yearning for Indo-Chinese food all of last week and have been driving my colleagues at work batty with my flip-flops at lunch; I keep saying I want to order Chinese and then would chicken out at the last moment saying I want to stick to my diet. 😝
This weekend, however, I gave in to the temptation and made both Manchow Soup and Veg Hakka Noodles at home.
If there is one dish which is found on every Indo-Chinese menu along with Manchurian, it is Manchow Soup. I like this hearty soup because it has loads and loads of vegetable so it does not feels like a soup at all and feels more like a stew. As a result, Manchow Soup can be a meal in itself and I often do.
These are dishes that are familiar to Indians who have been eating India’s version of Chinese Food; especially from food vendors on the street. There was a time you could find Chinese Food Thelas (hand carts) at various street corners whipping up tasty delights in their steaming hot woks. Alas, that is no longer the case in an India that is slowly getting gentrified.
Manchow Soup is a load of shredded vegetables and flavoured with soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic and green chillies for taste. It is warming, nourishing AND low on calories. What more could one ask for!
To make it more filling you could add some boiled hakka noodles to it, or then be naughty and top it with fried hakka noodles like I did. 😀
Do you like Indo-Chinese cuisine? Do try these recipes:
How to Make Veg Manchow Soup
Vegetable Manchow Soup - An Indo-Chinese Recipe
Ingredients
- 50 Gms Cabbage
- 50 Gms Purple Cabbage
- 1 Large Carrot
- 1 Large Capsicum
- 10 Mushrooms
- 2 Spring Onions with Greens
- 8 Garlic Cloves
- 1" Ginger
- 2 Green Chillies
- 1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp Corn Flour
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 3 Cups Water
- Salt to Taste
- 50 Gms Hakka Noodles
- Oil for Frying the Hakka Noodles
Instructions
- Chop all vegetables to fine pieces. Keep the spring onion and its greens separate.
- Chop the ginger, garlic, and chillies to fine pieces as well.
- Dissolve 1.5 tbsp corn flour in 1/4 cup water. Set aside.
- Boil the hakka noodles just to soften them.
- Leave in the colander to drain water completely.
- Sprinkle corn flour and mix well.
- Heat some oil.
- Deep fry noodles till they just start to turn brown.
- Remove from the oil and place on a kitchen tissue.
- Set aside.
- In a pan, heat the oil.
- Add ginger, garlic and green chillies.
- Saute till the aromas are released.
- Add the spring onions. Do not add the spring onion greens at this stage.
- Stir-fry for a minute.
- Add the mushrooms and stir-fry to 1 minute.
- Add carrots and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the capsicum and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add both the cabbages and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add spring onion greens and mix well.
- Add soy sauce and vinegar.
- Mix well.
- Stir-fry for 1 minute.
- Add 3 cups water.
- Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the corn flour paste and salt.
- Mix well and simmer till the Manchow Soup thickens a bit.
- Divide into 4 equal portions.
- Top with some fried Hakka noodles.
- Serve hot!
I love love love this soup Aruna! As you mentioned on my noodles post, we both were craving for some good Indo Chinese over the weekend!
Indo Chinese is Indo Chinese. Nothing else can satisfy the craving. 🙂
Yessss
This sounds very nice full of fresh and healthy ingredients! yumm
Indo Chinese s my favorite too.. Chil weather calls for a warm soup
Very true, Vidya 🙂
OMG, I would love to learn more about Indo-Chinese food. It’s been on my radar,and this summer I got to try some, at my nephew’s wedding. Please and thank you to more of these fabulous posts! 🙂
I hope you get to try some. It is rather unique.
Indo chinese is the one of the great fusion cuisine. Love this warm soup any time. 🙂
I love Desi Chinese food 🙂
love this soup… perfect for winter days
Isn’t it the best!
definitely , the best 🙂 🙂
Thank you for sharing this receipe… ?
Aruna, I love manchow soup and now after seeing your recipe, I want to make it asap!