For the longest time, I thought that the Chinese food that we ate here in India is actually authentic. I loved the Manchurian, those spicy noodles, & American Choupsey. Though as a kid, I always wondered as to why a Chinese dish had an American name. Nevertheless, those crispy noodles in a spicy broth was one yummy dish.
There was a tiny eat out in Mumbai, close to where I lived & they served really good Indo Chinese food. And Chinese Bhel was one of my favourites. If you believe that Indo Chinese cuisine is the best thing ever, you are going to love this version of Bhel or Chinese Bhel like its called
It is nothing but deep fried crisp noodles tossed with shredded vegetables & seasoned with Soy Sauce, Tomato & a few other spices.
HOW TO:
Cook Noodles as per package instructions. I used Ching's Hakka Noodles. Drain & set aside. Allow it to cool completely.
Heat Oil in a pan, once hot, deep fry the noodles until crisp. remove with a slotted spoon & drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Break them into pieces
Finely chop the onion & bell pepper. Shred the carrots & cabbage.
In a wide bowl, Add all the vegetables. Add the soy sauce, tomato sauce, tabasco sauce, vinegar & honey. Mix well.
Just before serving, Add the fried noodles & mix well. check if you need salt. you may not need any of it. Garnish with chopped coriander & serve
NOTE:
Make sure you toss in the noodles just before serving else they get soggy
This is a great after school snack option & is always a hit with the kids (Adults too)
You can deep fry the Noodles beforehand & store it in air tight jar & use it as & when needed. If stored appropriately, the noodles stay crisp for about a week.
Whenever I fry noodles to make this, I always fry excess & store them. I use them to make my salads more interesting. I love the extra crunch they add to salads.
Usually I do not add extra salt as the Sauces already have salt in them.
