Chindian Food Will Always Be Our Favourite Chakna, Here's Why
That’s right – Indian Chinese or Chindian food!
Be it hakka noodles or chowmein, fried rice or chicken Manchurian, Chindian food is basically the adaptation of Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques to Indian tastes. Said to have been developed by the small Chinese community that has lived in Kolkata’s Chinatown area since over a century, the lip-smacking cuisine is popular throughout the country.
Ever noticed a section of ‘Chinese’ included in even an Indian restaurant’s menu? That’s how beloved the cuisine is in India. Comfort food at its best, its familiar, tasty, and always manages to tickle our taste buds!
Today, we list down our top favourite Chindian dishes - spicy, deep fried and absolutely sinful – for you.
Warning – You might get really, really hungry while reading this!
1. Hakka Noodles
Popular at both restaurants and street-side vendors alike, this delicious dish gets its name from the Chinese province of Hakka. An all-time favourite, it is made from plain boiled noodles, stir fried with sauces and vegetables or meat.
Get the recipe here.
2. Chilli Paneer
A definite starter at basically every party we’ve ever been to, the addition of soya sauce makes this dish delicious. Also made with chicken, it’s made extremely spicy by using whole green chillies, bell peppers, and sometimes, red chilli sauce.
Get the recipe here.
3. Honey Chilli Potatoes
Super addictive and adored by all, these are nothing, but fried potato fingers tossed in a sesame honey chilli sauce. Sweet and spicy at the same time, it’s sprinkled with sesame seeds for that extra crunch!
Get the recipe here.
4. Chicken Lollipop
India’s answer to chicken wings, it’s a neater version where by using the technique of ‘frenching’, it’s cut and shaped to form a handle that makes it easy to hold. Coated with a spicy red batter, it’s deep fried and served hot with a fiery Schezwan dipping sauce.
Get the recipe here.
5. Manchurian
Spicy with tons of flavour, this dish makes use of paneer, cauliflower, or chicken dumplings mostly prepared in a gravy form but can also be enjoyed dry. Fun fact - the creation of Chicken Manchurian is in fact credited to Nelson Wang of China Garden who introduced Manchurian to Mumbai in 1975. While playing around with basic Indian ingredients like garlic, ginger, chilli and he happened to add a splash of soya sauce instead of garam masala - and voila!
Get the recipe here.
6. Fried Rice
A staple of sorts when you’re ordering Chindian and a take-out classic the world over, fried rice is stir fried in a wok and usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. While its usually served with gravy in China, the Chindian version is best enjoyed with an accompaniment like the above mentioned dishes.
Get the recipe here.
Hungry? Well, don’t tell us we didn’t warn you!
Credits: cravecookclick, cookwithmanali, hungryforever, myfoodstory, playfulcooking, polkapuffs, cookingclassy
