Indo-Chinese Chili Garlic Soy Noodles

| By: Akshat Toshniwal|

Approximately 250 years ago, the early Chinese community, which immigrated to Kolkata for the prospects of a better life, tweaked their culinary styles with rich flavors and ingredients found in India. Chili Garlic Soy noodles is a personal childhood favorite that pays tribute to the growth and adaptation of the Indo-Chinese cuisine. As the name suggests, it is a simple dish that has three main components - chili, garlic, and soy!

Ingredients

Yield: 3-4 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

500 grams of noodles of your choice
Chili flakes or crushed red pepper
Soy sauce - quarter cup
Three tablespoons each of chopped garlic, spring onions, and red chilies
Vegetable oil (or any substitute) - quarter cup
Table salt or sea salt

Cooking Instructions

Fill a pot with water and heat it. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and a pinch of salt. Wait till the water boils.
Add noodles of your choice to the boiling water and cook them for around 4 minutes, or as per the package instructions, until al dente.
Strain the noodles using a colander under running water. Mix the noodles with a tablespoon of oil to prevent them from sticking and place them to the side.
In a bowl, add three tablespoons of:
1. Chopped red chilies
2. Chopped spring onions
3. Chopped garlic
4. Chili flakes or crushed red pepper
Add a pinch of salt and a quarter cup of soy sauce to the chili, spring onions, and garlic mixture. Mix well.
Heat a quarter cup of oil separately. Retain a small portion of the heated oil (needed for step 8) and add the rest of the heated oil to the chili, spring onions, garlic, and soy mixture. Mix well.
Add the boiled noodles to the mixture and mix it well.
Use the oil retained in step 6 to fry garlic separately. Top the dish with fried garlic and spring onions.
Serve warm.