Indo-Chinese cuisine is immensely popular street food in India and is believed to have originated from Chinese people (Hakka) who migrated to southern and south-eastern Asia. It is a great fusion food - Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques adapted to the Indian taste. Trust me when I say Indo-Chinese food is completely different from actual Chinese food. Soup is an essential part of Chinese cuisine. Hot and sour soup is the Indian version. Needless to say, its hot! but you can always tone down the hotness and still enjoy the fusion-ness of this soup.
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Indgredients (Serves 2)
1. Chicken broth - 1 can (~14.5 oz)
2. Cooked shredded chicken (optional) - you can add shredded chicken (or tofu, shrimp) to make hot and sour chicken soup
3. Carrot - 1 medium, finely chopped
4. Green bean - 5-7, finely chopped
5. Cabbage - 1 cup, shredded
6. Bell pepper - 1 cup, finely chopped
7. Scallion - 2 stems, finely chopped
8. Cilantro - 1/4 bunch, finely chopped
9. Mushroom (optional) - 3-4, cut into half
11. Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
12. Napa cabbage (optional) - 4 leaves, steamed (add leaves in a skillet, sprinkle some water and cover the lid, steam cook for 4-5 minutes)
13. Thai pepper - 2, finely chopped
14. Cayenne pepper - 2, do not de-seed
16. Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
17. Oil - 1/4 tbsp
18. Rice vinegar - 2 tbsp
19. Salt - to taste
20. Chilli garlic sauce (optional) - to increase hotness
21. Corn starch - 2 tbsp dissolved in 1 cup water
As you have noticed, many of the ingredients are optional. In fact, you can improvise and add/remove ingredients in your soup e.g. celery, spinach, egg. The following recipe is a slightly modified form of the Indian street food version.
Add oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the cayenne pepper, ginger and garlic and cook for 30 sec. Add the cilantro, thai pepper and cook for another 30 sec. To this add a can of chicken (or vegetable) broth, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the all vegetables except napa cabbage, mushroom and scallion. Allow the mixture to boil over medium-heat for 10-12 minutes. Add water to compensate for the evaporation. Adjust the salt. You may increase the hotness of the soup by adding chilli garlic sauce. Thicken the soup by adding the corn starch solution while constantly stirring the soup.
Pour the soup in a bowl and sprinkle finely chopped scallion. Serve hot with steamed napa cabbage, mushroom and soba.
Prepare the soup just before consumption. Leaving the soup overnight in the refrigerator may cause loss of flavor.
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