Veg Chop Suey: Saucy Gravy On A Bed Of Crispy Noodles
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Veg Chop Suey, better known as Veg American Chop Suey, is globally recognised and adapted to local palates, as it has in India, where it is widely savoured, from fine dining restaurants to small diners. Indian American Veg Chop Suey combines soft and crispy textures in its preparation of a thick gravy of sauces and crunchy vegetables, served on a bed of deep-fried, crispy noodles. The gravy is made with cabbage, carrots, capsicum, and onions, seasoned with ginger, garlic, salt, and black pepper powder, in a delicious mix of soya sauce, vinegar, and tomato ketchup, thickened by corn flour. 

Veg Chop Suey is quite filling and makes a meal by itself. The dish was originally made out of leftovers, and primarily comprises cabbage, carrots, capsicum, and celery, in various sauces thickened with starch/corn flour. The non-vegetarian version includes meat, such as chicken, pork or beef, with an array of crunchy vegetables, served on deep-fried, crispy noodles, topped with a fried egg. 

There are many chop suey origin theories. Some say it was invented by Chinese Americans in the US. Anthropologist E.N. Anderson says it originated from a dish called Tap Suei, which loosely translates to varied leftovers, which is from China’s Guangdong Province, in a place called Taishan. It has also been claimed that the dish was first prepared by a Chinese cook in the US. Be that as it may, the indisputable fact is that Chop Suey is a favourite among Chinese innovative dishes.

Here is a recipe for Veg Chop Suey: 

Ingredients:

  • Noodles (1 packet)
  • Corn flour 
  • Garlic-finely chopped
  • Ginger-finely chopped
  • 1 Onion (sliced)
  • ½ Capsicum (sliced)
  • 1 Carrot (sliced)
  • ½ Cabbage (shredded)
  • Ajinomoto (optional)
  • Black pepper
  • Salt 
  • Vinegar
  • Soya sauce 
  • Red chilli sauce 
  • Tomato Ketchup

Method:

  • In a pan of water, put the noodles and one teaspoon of salt. Boil the noodles till it is soft and cooked, and then strain the noodles. Add one cup of cold water and a teaspoon of oil to the noodles so that they don’t stick to each other
  • Put two teaspoons of corn flour in the noodles, and mix
  • Fill a pan with oil and deep fry the noodles in it. Wait for the noodles to be fried till it has a slightly yellowish tinge, it should not be brown. After the noodles are fried, take off from the flame
  • Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan 
  • Add finely chopped garlic, finely chopped ginger, and sliced onions. Sauté the trio for a few seconds
  • Add the sliced capsicum, and sauté 
  • Add sliced carrot and stir
  • Add the shredded cabbage and mix all the vegetables 
  • Add salt and black pepper powder (and ajinomoto to enhance the taste, but this is optional) as per taste preference, and mix 
  • Add two teaspoons of vinegar, two teaspoons of red chilli sauce, two teaspoons of soya sauce, and two tablespoons of tomato ketchup, and stir all the ingredients well 
  • Add a quarter cup of water, add a quarter cup of corn flour diluted in water, and let the dish boil for two to three minutes. Take off from flame 
  • Put the chop suey on the crispy noodles and serve hot

Veg Chop Suey is usually enough for a filling meal, but you can eat it with a side dish or soup.