What is Chinese bhel, in the first place? Well, it is a dish that is loved by – actually originated with – people of Chinese origin living in India. So, do not be surprised when you are discussing how to make Chinese bhel and someone refers to the food as Chindian dish; or an Indo-Chinese recipe. Generally, the Chinese bhel is considered a snack, and although it is delicious like other snacks are known to be, this one is wholesome and sometimes stands in for a main meal.
How Did The Chinese Introduce Their Food In India?
It is easy. You visit a place and stay for a reasonable time, and your culture is bound to rub off the indigenous people. With the Chinese in India, some are expatriates working on short-term contracts, while others are Indian-born Chinese whose grandparents came in to work at the Calcutta and Madras ports. The latter, whose roots in India date back to the 18th century, have helped boost the Indian economy through their success in the leather and hotel industries. If anyone has catalyzed the popularity of the Chinese food, it is probably the Chinese running hotels; although in reality, to learn how to make Chinese bhel you just need to have Chinese friends.
Ingredients
Wheat noodles: 250 g
vegetable cooking oil – enough for use in a deep fryer
Carrots (grated): ¼ cup
cabbage (finely sliced): ¼ cup
bean sprouts: ¼ cup
capsicum (thinly sliced): ¼ cup
Spring onion: ¼ cup
fresh coriander (chopped): 2 tbsp
roasted peanuts (salted): ¼ cup
szechuan sauce: ½ cup
(Indo-Chinese sauce pre-prepared and refrigerated)
vinegar: 1 tsp
tablespoon tomato ketchup: 2
chili sauce: 2 tsp
salt – just enough to taste
How To Make Chinese Bhel
- Put water into a deep pot
- Heat till boiling
- Add some salt (e.g. 1 tablespoon)
- Add in the noodles
- Let the pot boil till noodles are almost ready
- Drain the water from the noodles
- Lay the noodles on a platter to cool and also dry
- Put the oil in your deep fryer and heat
- Carefully put in the noodles and deep fry till crispy
- Once the noodles are golden in color, remove them and drain on paper towels.
- Take a sizeable mixing bowl and throw in your noodles, now presumably cool and dry
- Crush them coarsely, add in your other ingredients, and then mix them well.
This recipe is so easy you can even teach someone else how to make Chinese bhel after the first reading. Note the need to serve your meal immediately to avoid it becoming soggy. To save preparation time, you can remove your Szechuan sauce from the fridge early, heat it and put it in a well insulated lunch box.