Be My Guest Archana ~ Hakka Noodles w Vegetables in Schezwan Sauce

Hey gals, this month my Guest of Honour is Archana from "The Mad Scientist Kitchen". The very first reason why I asked her for this guest post was because of her interesting Blog name which was chosen by her daughter for her. And then all those inviting recipes with details descriptions.. hmm.. a sure way to enter a wonderful kitchen indeed. Currently staying in Goa, this lovely lady has been to many states due to the transferable job of her dad which answers her taste and knowledge of various cuisines and flavours. She is a Chemistry graduate but in her own '' she only uses her graduation in kitchen boiling liquids etc ''.. Well good for us Archana.. :)


Apart from cooking, she reads fiction and motivational reads and is fond of old hindi songs. She also has two other blogs where she posts stories by her granny, how sweet of that :) Here are the links for the blogs : Ajji stories and something interesting. Visit for interesting snippets and stories for a break from blogging :)  She started blogging in 2008 as a tribute to her Mom and Granny as a treasure for her daughters. Senti kar ditta Archana .. And as time flew by, she is now addicted to the blogging ( aint all of us are :P ). Her love of food started with her encouraging father and now wonderful husband and adorable daughters. 


Surfing through her blog is always a delight and you can get atleast one of your kind recipe from the pages. My favorite picks from her space are :
Corn Bruchetta
Mocha mousse Cake
Peas Kheer / Payasa
Bread Dosa 
Egg less Buttery Cookies

Over to Archana now, enjoy :)

When it comes to cooking I generally do not ask for ideas but Nupur said “wish to c something amazing from you, as usual “I was in a fix at the phrase “as usual”! I do not set out to make anything amazing. So I am quite surprised that I am considered amazing. (No I am not being modest here). So my first SOS went to my better half, the one person who has seen me gradually morph into the present day avatar.

He has one firm idea viz Butter Idli, something that I have made in the past so I rejected the idea. I want to make something new I told him. He gave his noncommittal answer “do whatever you want.” So I rang my SIL. She rejected all the ideas I ran by her. Now I was in a fix and could not come up with anything original too. The D-day was fast approaching and I had nothing ready. Will have to say sorry? Then inspiration hit me in the form of a memory of a long forgotten dish which was relished by us. In fact every time we went out to eat, I ordered this dish thinking it will recreate the dish I was clamouring for... but every time I was disappointed.

That is when my elder daughter came to my rescue, as always (as she claims). Make it Mamma, make a milder version and keep the Schezwan chilli sauce separate. Do not make the Manchurian balls make a vegetable. Practical suggestion, as I avoid frying and the girls avoid my Manchurian !! Still I did not bite the bullet as it involves a lot of last minute work and these days I cannot manage it due to the load at office. Then I decided to break the jobs in smaller portions so that I could do it. So here it is; Triple Schezwan the Indo-Chinese recipe of pungent fried rice, Hakka noodles, topped with Schezwan style vegetables and garnished with crispy fried noodles. Yes this needs no more accompaniments.

To add to the memories that I was carrying around I used a bit, nay, a lot of inspiration, from Tarla Dalal’s recipe. So on day 1 after I made my lists and shopped I made fried noodles. The quantity I made was enormous. For a moment, I was worried if we could finish it. However, since we were a total of 7 of us, who would be eating it for two meals, for lunch as well as for dinner, it was just sufficient.

Please do scale down to your requirements.


Fried Noodles
1. Parboil 1 packets of noodle (Ching’s Hakka Noodles).
2. Drain them, cool them and dry them out on a tea towel. Please do not use
paper napkins the whole thing becomes a mess.
3. When they are a little less watery transfer to a bowl and toss some corn
flour on them. Fry the noodle in smoking hot oil till nice and crisp.


Next I made the Schezwan Sauce

• For the Schezwan sauce
• 16 red chillies (I used Badgi)
• ¼ cup garlic +1 tsp chopped fine
• 1 tsp green chilli chopped fine
• ½ tblsp ginger grated
• 2 onions chopped
• 1 tomato, peeled and pureed
• 1 cup water
• 2 tblsp corn flour dissolved in 4 tblsp water
• 1tblspn vinegar 
• 2 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste

Method;
1. Soak the red chillies overnight. In the morning boil then with ½ cup water for 8 – 10 minutes. Cool
2. Transfer to the mixer and grind to a smooth paste. Use more water if needed.
3. Heat oil till it smokes
4. Add the finely chopped garlic, ginger, green chillies and onion in quick succession.
5. Sauté on high flame for a minute
6. Add the tomato puree fry till it forms a lump in the centre of the pan.
7. Add the rest of the garlic and chilli paste. Sauté for 1 -2 minutes
8. Add the water, corn flour, salt and sugar mix.
9. Cook on medium heat till the mixture thickens.
10.Cool and use it as required. The end product was a little less than 500 grams.


With these two basic ingredients ready, start chopping. Please note that there is no dearth of veggies that you can use but I have used cauliflower, carrot, cabbage, capsicums in all colours viz green, yellow and red, spring onion greens, onions, tomato and baby corn. As usual hubby was grumbling about the less quantity of garlic, you can add more/less than what I have indicated.


Kiddo 2 chopped the cauliflower in 2 ways 1 was fine florets the other huge pieces, while I julienned the carrot on day 1. The cabbage, capsicum, spring onion got the chop the next day, onions and garlic as I needed them. 
Set aside 1 cup of spring onions, 1/2 cup of carrot juliennes and some coriander for garnishing.
First thing on Sunday morning, yes I made it on Sunday for lunch the rice and noodles went cooking. Next time I am cooking the rice first then the noodles as the noodles need your attention; not the rice.


I made the Noodles in Hakka Noodles style as my daughter’s friends do not eat very pungent stuff. You can make it Schezwan style only in place of soya sauce add the Schezwan sauce.

• 2 packets of noodles (I used Ching’s Veg.)
• 1 tblsp garlic, chopped fine
• ½ tsp ginger, grated
• 2 onions, sliced fine
• ½ cup carrots, juliennes
• 1 cup cauliflower, chopped in small florets
• 2 tblsp soya sauce
• 1 maggi veg. cube, crushed (optional)
• Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• ½ cup Spring onion greens, chopped
• Coriander, chopped

                            


Method:
1. Boil the noodles as per the instructions on the packet, drain, cool under running water toss oil and set aside.
2. Heat ¼ cup oil till it reaches smoking point in a kadhai/wok. Please note that the flame has to be high all the time. At no point of time lower the flame.
3. Add the garlic and stir for 2-3 second, add the ginger and fry for another 2-3 seconds.
4. Toss the chopped onions and stir fry till translucent. Add a pinch of maggi cube.
5. Add the cauliflower stir add another pinch of maggi. When you get a nice aroma. Add the soya sauce and stir add the entire maggi cube.
6. Add the carrots, noodles, salt and pepper and mix well.
7. Remove from heat and set aside.
8. Garnish with spring onion and coriander.


Make the Schezwan Fried Rice next

• 2 big cups of basmati rice (say about 500 grams)
• ½ tsp Orange food colour (optional)
• Oil
• 1 tblsp garlic, chopped fine
• ½ tsp ginger, grated
• 2 onions, chopped fine
• ½ cup carrots, juliennes
• 1 cup cauliflower, chopped in small florets
• 1 maggi veg. cube, crushed (optional)
• ½ cup of the Schezwan sauce (adjust as per taste)
• Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• ½ cup Spring onion greens, chopped
• Coriander, chopped

Method:

• Wash and drain the rice. In a thick bottomed vessel add 3 ½ cups of water mixed with the food colour (if using). Add a tsp of oil, salt mix and cook on low flame till the water is absorbed. Set aside for the rice to cool. Fluff with a fork.
• When the rice is fluffed start making your fried rice, for this in a large kadhai/wok (again on high flame please) heat about ½ cup oil till smoking hot.
• Add the garlic and stir for 2-3 second, add the ginger and fry for another 2-3 seconds.
• Toss the chopped onions and stir fry till translucent. Add a pinch of maggi cube.
• Add the cauliflower stir add another pinch of maggi. When you get a nice aroma. Add the Schezwan sauce and stir add the entire maggi cube.
• Add the carrots, rice, salt, pepper and mix well.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Garnish with spring onion and coriander.

Lastly make the Schezwan Style Veggie.


Wait, lay the table before you make the veggie, get your condiments out I used chilli vinegar, onions in vinegar, soya sauce. In case you want to use them... The girls did all this for me with a lot of noise with the forks, spoons etc.


While the noise is still in acceptable limits go and make your veggie...

• 2 onions chopped fine 
• 1 tblsp garlic, chopped fine 
• ½ tblsp ginger, grated 
• 2 tblsp of chopped green chilli
• 500 grams cauliflower florets,
• 200 grams baby corn, cut in bite sized pieces
• ½ red capsicum, cut in cubes
• ½ yellow capsicum, cut in cubes
• ½ green capsicum, cut in cubes
• ½ cup of cabbage, cut in cubes
• 1 cup of Schezwan sauce
• 1 maggi veg. cube, crushed (optional)
• 3 ½ tblsp corn flour dissolved in ¼ cup of water
• 500ml water
• Oil
• Salt
• ½ cup Carrot juliennes
• Spring onion greens, chopped
• Coriander, chopped

Method:
Wash and Parboil the cauliflower and baby corn separately.
Heat about ¼ cup oil till it smokes.
Add the garlic and stir for 2-3 second, add the ginger and fry for another 2-3 seconds add the green chilli and stir.
Toss the chopped onions and stir fry till translucent. Add a pinch of maggi cube.
Add the cauliflower stir add another pinch of maggi.
Add the baby corn and a pinch of maggi cube.
When you get a nice aroma. Add the Schezwan sauce
Add the water, salt and bring to a boil.
Add the capsicums, cabbage and all the rest of the maggi cube. Stir.
Add the corn flour mix stirring continuously. Let the mixture thicken.
Add the carrot juliennes, spring onion and coriander.


To assemble


In the plate add some Hakka Noodles in a circle leaving some space in the centre.


Top this centre with the Fried Rice. Ladle a spoonful the Schezwan Style Veggies on the rice. Top it up with crispy fried noodles. Garnish with the reserved spring onion, coriander and carrot juliennes.


In the evening I added more Schezwan Sauce to our veggies.


Bon Appétit!!