If I have to choose just one cuisine that I can eat all my life if not our very own Indian, it has to be Chinese. As a foodie, I have my share of phases where I’m only craving pasta, pizza or waffles and post the 'phase' is over, I dont even want to look at it. Okay, for a couple of months maybe, not forever. But it is never the case with Chinese food. An ardent dimsum lover, I had them every day for a week once yet craved it the very next day. So, I can safely call myself a Chinese food lover. Same goes with chilli chicken, spring rolls or chowmein (especially the desi Chinese variant that you get on the street side carts). Indians adapted Chinese cuisine to suit their taste buds, further adding to the massive popularity, and aren't we greatful for that?
The reason perhaps could be the presence of a good amount of spice in Chinese food, similar to how we have in India. Chinese cuisine is divided into eight most prominent regional cuisines- Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Szechuan, and Zhejiang. Each have their own distinctive flavour and cooking techniques but certain ingredients such as ginger, garlic, scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and bean paste are common to all. And one thing that binds Chinese cuisine together is the way they eat- with chopsticks. The use of fork and knife was believed to stand for violence many years ago, and chopsticks were adopted which represented gentleness and compassion.
If you too are a fond of Chinese food, you don’t need to really go out to a fancy restaurant. We’ve got a full-fledged dinner menu for you that you can prepare at home.
Starters
1. Hot and Sour Soup
Light, comforting and oh-so-delicious, hot and sour soup has the goodness of bamboo shoots, green onion and lily buds along with the flavour of soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper. This is the perfect treat for the winter chill.
2. Dimsums
You can make minced chicken, mutton or crispy veggie dimsums, depending on your choice. These small bite-sized stuffed rounds are perfect steamed snack to delight your family and friends. Nowadays, Indian street food has fried, tandoori and gravy dimsums too.
3. Spring Rolls
Crispy, wholesome and absolutely delicious, spring rolls make for one of the best appetisers. The crispy and crunchy outer crust and the soft filling inside never fails to impress our taste buds. Here’s our pick for drool-worthy vegetable spring rolls that you can try at home.
4. Chinese Chicken Salad
Soothe the healthy soul in you with this simply salad that boasts of the goodness of shredded chicken and a host of veggies including cabbage, carrot, broccoli and onion along with cashews and sprouts. All this is tossed with lemon, ginger and garlic in a delicious salad.
Main Course
1. Chilli Chicken
If your idea of a dinner is all things spicy, this chilli chicken recipe is just for you. Delicious, delectable and fiery, chilli chicken has all the oriental spices along with red chilli paste that will set your tase buds on fire.
2. Teriyaki Vegetable Stir Fry With Rice
Healthy, wholesome and full of crispy veggies, this delicacy has carrots, red bell pepper and zucchini cooked with rice and teriyaki sauce, lending a tantalising flavour.
3. Veg Hakka Noodles
Isn’t this the classic Chinese dish we crave be it for our evening snack or just want to deviate from the usual dinner? Quick, easy and absolutely mouth-watering. One can always experiment with the veggies or meat.