Here’s an Indo-Chinese-inspired chilli garlic noodles recipe that you can try on a cold chilly afternoon. I am obsessed with this dish and I cannot stress the fact that this here is the comfort food you’ll need today.
Inspiration for Chilli Garlic Noodles: India’s favourite cuisine (Indo-Chinese)
Indian-Chinese food dates back to the 1700s when the Hakka traders from China settled in Calcutta – the then capital of British India. Kolkata, or Calcutta was one of the first cities in India to start an Indo-Chinese restaurant. Chinese immigrants who moved to India for work opportunities started cooking their food. They used locally sourced ingredients and customizing it to the Indian palate. Eventually, this Sino-Indian cultural fusion spread all around the country like wildfire. As the years went by, people began experimenting with different ingredients and christened each dish in an Indianized manner. Dishes like the Gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian or Schezuan fried rice are localized only to India and not to the Chinese culture.
This cuisine has been subtly adapted to the Indian palette to suit the fiery tastes. It includes a variety of ingredients, an explosion of flavors, Chinese sauces, and spices that makes the cuisine super appetizing to eat. Thus, began the birth of a line of dishes that made a beautiful impact on every Indian’s heart. I want to bring this beautiful amalgamation of India and China onto your plates.
Why is Indo-Chinese food so popular?
The exquisite Indianness and unique cooking style infused in this cuisine makes it so spectacularly popular. We also love eating anything that feels familiar. This cuisine was built on very specific regional flavors and ingredients and is the perfect Indian interpretation of Chinese foods. Ingredients like Paneer (Indian cottage cheese), potatoes, cauliflower, spring onions, cabbages, bell peppers, etc are used to create dishes with a Chinese twist. Thus, dishes like Veg Manchurian, Spring rolls, Schezwan noodles, Manchurian soup, Gobi Manchurian, Chilli Paneer, and many more came into existence. Indians and spices have a special unbreakable bond. We love anything that makes our tongue feel like it’s on fire. Trust me!
Indo-Chinese dishes satiate the cravings for spicy foods quite perfectly. Spices, condiments and aromatics like garlic, chilies, MSG, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar give the dishes that extra zing which will make you go for a second helping.
Here’s my version of Chilli Garlic Noodles that has the right amount of spice and an overdose of yumminess.
How to make some Delicious Chilli Garlic Noodles ( Tips and Tricks)
Prepping the Noodles
I used Wheat noodles here but you can use of buckwheat noodles or rice noodles too depending on your choice. Make sure, though, to prep them according to their respective cooking methods.
The trick behind getting the right texture for wheat noodles: cook the noodles to 70% doneness before draining. It gets cooked further once the noodles are added to the wok along with the other ingredients. If you cook them completely while boiling, you will be left with soggy, overcooked noodles completely ruining the dish.
Red Chilli Paste
The red chilli paste is the secret behind the spice, reddish tint, and vibrancy of this dish. If you love spicy food like me, then make a large batch of this homemade chilli paste. Store it in an air tight container in the fridge. You can use this paste in other dishes as well. Pour it into soups, use it as a spread for sandwiches, use it as a marinade or add some vegan mayo to make a quick dip for your nachos etc.
I made a fresh batch of red chilli paste for this recipe. Soak the dried Kashmiri red chillies (easily available in any indian store) in hot water for 15-20 minutes till the chillies soften up. Grind it into a fine paste with garlic and water to maintain a paste like consistency.
Vegetables
You can use any vegetable that catches your fancy – zucchini, cauliflower, green peas, french beans, mushrooms – ANYTHING! I am sticking to carrots, bell peppers, capsicums, scallions, and cabbage. Before you get chopping, let’s run over the thumb rule – the thinner the better. We also want our vegetables to be in a similar size since we are cooking with thin noodles. The reason we cut them uniformly is to ensure an even cooking rate. Hence, get your chef’s knife out and julienne the heck out of these veggies.
MSG
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer that is has been used in Asian cooking for ages. It imparts a pleasant savoury taste or umami to dishes. You can definitely skip it if you don’t wish to use this ingredient.
Making the Chilli Garlic Noodles
As the name Chilli Garlic Noodles suggest, this dish here has loads and loads of garlic – because we’re obsessed.
Check out other recipes from the blog:
- Easy Chana Masala(Vegan and Gluten-free)
- Easy One Pot Daal Recipe (V, GF)
Delicious Chilli Garlic Noodles
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 1 Pack Wheat noodles or gluten-free option
- Water for boiling the noodles
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 8-10 Kashmiri dried red chilies
- 3 tbsp Garlic (minced)
- 2 cloves Garlic (chopped)
- 3 tbsp Garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Ginger minced
- 2-3 Green chillies sliced (optional)
- 1 Carrot julienned
- 2 cups Red green, and yellow bell peppers julienned
- ½ cup Shredded cabbage
- 1 tsp Soy sauce
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 1/3 cup Scallions sliced
- 1 tsp Rice Vinegar
- Fresh coriander leaves a handful
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp MSG optional
Instructions
- Boil noodles according to instructions on the packet.
- Once boiled, drain the water and rinse in cold water.
- Drizzle oil to coat the noodles and to avoid sticking.
- Set the noodles aside
- Prep the Chilli Garlic paste by soaking the Kashmiri red chillies in hot water for 10-15 minutes. Let it cool and set aside.
- Transfer to a blender with 2 garlic cloves and blend it into a fine paste.
- Add some water to occassionally to get a paste like consistency. Keep aside.
- Set a wok on medium heat and add oil. Once the oil is hot enough add minced garlic & ginger and saute for 1-2 minutes
- Then, add the red chilli paste prepared before hand and cook until the oil separates
- Now add the green chillies and chopped veggies while sauteing them continuously
- Once the veggies have softened down a bit, add soy sauce & sugar.
- Sauté on high flame for 1-2 minutes
- Add MSG (if using) for a delicious umami flavour
- Add boiled noodles, scallions, fresh choppped coriander and vinegar
- Stir & toss well on high flame for a minute
- Serve it hot in your favourite bowl
This Mango Cardamom nice cream is the perfect healthy dessert to replace your regular heavy ice cream. Relish this simple, easy-to-make recipe when you have those dessert or ice-cream cravings. It’s easy to whip up and you can make it in no time.
DISCLAIMER:@coconutbowls are affiliate partners for this blog, which means if you purchase or sign up using the code on their website, then @beextravegant will get a tiny percentage in return. Would really appreciate the support. Thanks for supporting me! 🙂
Ummm, what’s Nice Cream?
Nice cream is very different from regular ice cream. For starters it’s called nice cream because a) it’s nicer for your health b) it’s made with frozen fruits (not heavy cream) and c) it’s vegan since we’re not adding any animal-based milk. And anything vegan by default tops our charts because caring for the animals and the environment is our utmost priority.
Nice Cream was first used to describe a soft-serve type ice cream, where instead of heavy cream, chunks of frozen fruits were blended and gave it a rich custard-like consistency. Eventually, when people realized the health benefits of having this naturally sweetened dessert, the demand for it has blown up considerably.
If you want to get your hands on these gorgeous coconut bowls by @coconutbowls, use my code “BEEXTRAVEGANT10” to get 10% off.
This mango cardamom nice cream came out of me discovering a bag of frozen mangoes in my freezer and decided on making this quick-as-a-flash recipe because sometimes I need to chill out.
Also, if you’re wondering about these cute little bowls and spoons in the pictures above, Coconut bowls gifted me their handmade coconut bowl and spoon. Hence, I took that as the perfect excuse to relax and enjoy a nice flavorful nice cream in these beautiful, eco-friendly bowls.
Inspiration for Mango Cardamom Nice Cream
Did you know that India is the number one mango-producing country in the world where we produce over 18 million tonnes or in other words – 50% of the global mango supply. Isn’t that crazy?
Mangoes and I have long-existing chemistry, and there is no way I will give up a chance to incorporate mangoes in my recipes. Mango season is the time when my true love for this fruit overpowers logic and reasoning. Sipping on a good Mango Lassi (viz. a cold blend of yogurt, spices, sweetener, and fruits) on a hot summer’s day is absolute heaven. You would know what I am saying if you have experienced that bliss in a glass. Check out how I make my Mango Lassi .
So, for this particular recipe, I decided to give it a twist of my own – make it into a Mango Cardamom Nice Cream.
Why Nice Cream, you ask?
Well, regular ice cream requires heavy-duty or powerful ice cream machines, long processing hours, and, let’s not forget the sugar overdose in each scoopful. On the flip side, Nice cream needs blending frozen fruit until smooth with a few tablespoons of maple or agave syrup (if you have a sweet-tooth but otherwise the fructose in the fruits is enough to satiate the need). How easy does that sound? It’s an absolutely no-nonsense dish and ready-to-eat, as long as you have a bunch of fruits frozen in your freezer. Even if you don’t have a stock of frozen fruit, you could always freeze some overnight.
Many prefer having this over regular ice cream due to the ease in whipping this up. The best part is you can experiment with different fruits, depending on how creamy they get after freezing. You can get that soft-serve-like consistency by using and balancing out the thickness with extra plant milk. For example, bananas become really creamy after being frozen and are the perfect partner in making the best smoothies and milkshakes. Similarly, you can use any fruit that you like, not necessarily mangoes. Here I have chosen mangoes to satisfy my cravings and obsession with these tropical fruits. But it’s up to you to jazz it up with the fruit of your choice.
How to make Mango Cardamom Nice Cream (Tips and tricks)
Fruits
I froze the mangoes in my freezer well before the cooking time. The trick is to keep a batch of frozen fruits – ready to go. An easy way to keep a stock of frozen fruits ready in your freezer would be to cut fresh fruits into chunks and freeze them in airtight containers. Alternatively, you could freeze them in a ziplock bag by pressing out all the air and sealing it shut. Fruits can be stored up to 6-9 months in the freezer if done the right way. Now that you have a stock of frozen fruit ready, all you need to do is find that auspicious day when your Nice Cream cravings are at a peak point.
Spices
My advice would be to keep a stock of cardamom powder if you are a regular consumer like me. It’s easy to prepare, all you have to do is to shell the cardamom, crush them into a fine powder and store it in an air-tight container (so that the powder does not lose the flavour and potency to oxidization). This will last you upto 4 years if stored properly.
Plant-milk for consistency
Frozen milk cubes are the key to incorporating that frothy, ice-cream-like consistency in our Mango cardamom nice cream. Instead of adding chilled plant-milk, we are using milk cubes will make the nice cream colder and creamier. You can keep a batch of frozen plant milk in your freezer, and use them as and when you like. I am using soy milk from @soy for this recipe but you can use any other plant-based milk.
Sweetener
My go-to sweetener in smoothies and nice cream is maple syrup but you can sub it with agave syrup. If you are lucky, you might get a good batch of sweet mangoes then there is no need to add extra sweetener. The mango will do its job perfectly.
Now all you have to do is combine the mango, cardamom powder, frozen plant-milk cubes and maple syrup in a blender until smooth and creamy. Depending on how powerful your blender is, you can adjust the timing from 3-4 minutes or 5-7 minutes. Totally depends.
Do a taste test to check for consistency and sweetness. If required, add some more chilled plant-milk to make it into a soft-serve-type consistency. Serve it in pretty bowls because we are fancy. Enjoy!
If you want a more authentic Indian Ice cream recipe then checkout this Vegan Kulfi recipe to beat the heat 🙂
Mango Cardamom Nice Cream
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 1 frozen mango
- 4-5 cardamom pods (shelled and crushed) or 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 9-10 cubes of frozen plant milk
- 1-2 tsp of maple syrup or any plant syrup
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a blender. And blend away.
- Add extra plant milk to get the soft-serve- consistency.
- Serve it fresh in your favourite bowl.
- If you prefer, you can top it off with your favourite garnish like nuts or fruit pieces.
Enjoy this authentic Kerala delicacy made with rice flour, jaggery and coconut filling, and loads of love. You may have come across many kinds of dumplings, but this South Indian dumpling might come as a pleasant surprise for you. Ela Ada has all the ingredients to warm your soul and leave you wanting more. I hope you enjoy making this as much as I did.
What is Ela Ada?
Ela Ada (in Malayalam: Rice dumplings) is a traditional delicacy in Kerala – a region in the south of India. They are rice pockets stuffed with a filling of cooked jaggery and grated coconut. These rice pockets are steamed in banana leaves and served as the perfect dessert during festivities.
The traditional recipe requires the use of jaggery. When I filmed the reel for my Instagram, I used molasses and brown sugar instead. It was my special twist to this heart-warming dessert. Ela Ada is one of the most celebrated desserts prepared in Kerala and this delicacy is often enjoyed during special occasions and festivals. Most of the Indian desserts have an overdose of trans-fats and sugar. Ela Ada is one of the healthiest desserts you will ever find because it is steamed and not fried in oil. The use of fresh coconut, jaggery, and milk makes this dessert an explosion of flavors on the taste buds.
It is enjoyed and relished in most parts of the country but in different variations of the same. For example, these dumplings are steamed in turmeric leaves, in Goa, which imparts a very special flavour itself.
Ela Ada being held in hands
Inspiration for Ela Ada
Ela Ada takes me back to my childhood. We would often visit Kerala during our vacations . My brother and I would spend time playing and eating with my cousins. My uncle would get these delicacies parcelled from a local shop and distribute them to us. We would wait patiently for him to come home, so that we could relish these pockets of joy with a cup of chai or milk.
I miss hogging on such delicacies, especially Dosa with Chutney for breakfast, and Ela Ada for our evening tea-time snacks. Ever since I have moved to France, I often reminisce about those good old days and miss being back in my native place.
So, here’s my attempt to recreate my favourite dessert. Enjoy!
How to Make Ela Ada (Tips and tricks)
Prepping the Banana leaf
Ela or Banana leaf is used to wrap these dumplings which add a distinct flavour and smell to the Ela Ada. It’s great if you have access to fresh Banana leaves. It’s alright if you don’t. You can wrap them in parchment paper and it will turn out more than perfecto. If you do get your hands on some Banana leaves, here’s how you prepare them. Gently run each leave over a low flame on both sides and cut them into medium-sized squares (roughly 15 cm*30 cm). The heat makes the leaf flexible and easier to wrap the dumplings.
Let’s Dough it!
This step is optional: roast the rice flour on low heat for 5 minutes because it gives nuttier flavour or skip to the next step.
For the dough, add boiling water to the bowl of rice flour and mix using a wooden spoon. Let the mixture cool down and then knead it into a soft dough with your hands. The dough should have the right consistency so that you can roll them easily. You will need the practice to get the right consistency. Check out my video here to understand it better.
Filling for Ela Ada
Jaggery: Ideally, the filling is made from jaggery. No jaggery? No problem. I had no jaggery at home so I had to improvise while filming the reel. I have used a combination of brown sugar and molasses to make the filling.
Fresh Coconut: Ideally fresh coconut is used for this recipe. You can easily substitute it with a combination of desiccated coconut and coconut milk.
Molasses being poured into the caramelised brown sugar
Start by carmelising brown sugar in a pan. Add the coconut milk (if subbing), soy milk, molasses, and water to dissolve. Continue to mix till it thickens. Add the fresh or desiccated coconut and crushed cardamom. Now switch off the heat, mix well with a wooden spoon and let it cool. The consistency should be dense and mouldable. If you wish, you can roast the desiccated coconut or grated coconut on medium heat before adding it to the brown sugar and molasses mixture but I prefer it unroasted.
Let’s make the Ela Ada
Take a banana leaf or parchment paper and grease it with oil. Place a lemon size dough on the leaf and pat the dough to flatten it. The flattened dough should be the size of your palm. Place the coconut filling on one side and lightly spread it using your fingers. Fold the leaf over the dumpling to form a semi-circle-sized pocket. Seal the sides by gently pressing. Steam them for about 15 minutes or until cooked completely. Remember to place the Ela Adas one over the other in the steamer so there is even distribution of steam. Do a taste test before you serve. If you prefer, you can also serve them cold.
The Ela Adas are ready to be served with some piping hot chai !
Pro-tip
Adjust the sweetness as per your taste.
It will take you a bit of practice to get the right consistency.
If you like this recipe, check out other desserts from my page:
Easy Vegan Kulfi (Indian Ice cream)
Healthy Vegan Laddoos
Vegan Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ela Ada Recipe
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 1 cup Rice flour
- 1 1/2 cups Water
- 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut (or desiccated, in which case, add 100 ml coconut milk)
- 1/4 cup organic brown sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or 1/4 cup jaggery (if you have access to it)
- 100 ml plant milk (I used soy milk)
- 1 tsp freshly crushed cardamom or pre-powdered
- 5 squares Banana leaves about 20×20 cm or 8×8 inches
- Oil to grease the banana leaves
Instructions
- Optional: Roast 1 cup rice flour on low heat for 5 minutes for a nuttier flavour (or skip to the next step).
- Begin by boiling water in a pan. In a bowl add the rice flour and the boiling water, gradually.
- Pour the water while mixing the rice flour gently using a wooden spoon.
- Once the mixture cools down, knead with your hands to make a soft dough and set aside.
- To a fresh pan, add brown sugar and heat it until it starts to caramelise.
- Then add the plant milk (soy and coconut if using), molasses and water to dissolve it all. Bring it to a mouldable consistency, takes about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the grated coconut and crushed cardamom. Switch off the heat and mix well.
- For the next step, warm the banana leaves over an open flame so that it becomes flexible.
- Grease the leaf with oil.
- Take a ball sized dough and flatten over a banana leaf.
- Place 1-2 tbsp of the stuffing and spread on one side of the dough.
- Fold from the other side and seal the sides by pressing gently.
- Place the Ela Ada in a steamer and steam for 15 minutes until it is cooked completely.
- Serve warm or cold as per your liking.
Don’t forget to tag @beextravegant if you make this and follow for more amazing recipes. Cheers!
Other Indian Recipes For You:
Delicious Chilli Garlic Noodles
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 1 Pack Wheat noodles or gluten-free option
- Water for boiling the noodles
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 8-10 Kashmiri dried red chilies
- 3 tbsp Garlic (minced)
- 2 cloves Garlic (chopped)
- 3 tbsp Garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Ginger minced
- 2-3 Green chillies sliced (optional)
- 1 Carrot julienned
- 2 cups Red green, and yellow bell peppers julienned
- ½ cup Shredded cabbage
- 1 tsp Soy sauce
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 1/3 cup Scallions sliced
- 1 tsp Rice Vinegar
- Fresh coriander leaves a handful
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp MSG optional
Instructions
- Boil noodles according to instructions on the packet.
- Once boiled, drain the water and rinse in cold water.
- Drizzle oil to coat the noodles and to avoid sticking.
- Set the noodles aside
- Prep the Chilli Garlic paste by soaking the Kashmiri red chillies in hot water for 10-15 minutes. Let it cool and set aside.
- Transfer to a blender with 2 garlic cloves and blend it into a fine paste.
- Add some water to occassionally to get a paste like consistency. Keep aside.
- Set a wok on medium heat and add oil. Once the oil is hot enough add minced garlic & ginger and saute for 1-2 minutes
- Then, add the red chilli paste prepared before hand and cook until the oil separates
- Now add the green chillies and chopped veggies while sauteing them continuously
- Once the veggies have softened down a bit, add soy sauce & sugar.
- Sauté on high flame for 1-2 minutes
- Add MSG (if using) for a delicious umami flavour
- Add boiled noodles, scallions, fresh choppped coriander and vinegar
- Stir & toss well on high flame for a minute
- Serve it hot in your favourite bowl
