Hakka noodles and lollipop hen: Fatt Pundit’s Indo-Chinese language road meals recipes | Chinese language food and drinks

This well-known dish was invented by Nelson Wang, a third-generation chef born in Kolkata to Chinese language mother and father. He made it with hen, however about a third of India’s inhabitants is vegetarian, so this variation made with cauliflower, or gobi, was quickly a agency favorite, and is a must have at road stalls and Chinese language eating places throughout India at present.

Prep 20 min
Cook dinner 20 min
Serves 4

400g cauliflower, minimize into medium-sized florets
Vegetable or sunflower oil, for frying

For the batter
5 tbsp self-raising flour
5 tbsp cornflour
Salt, to style

For the sauce
2-3 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
5cm piece recent ginger, unpeeled, finely chopped
2-3 inexperienced chillies, finely chopped, to style
50g finely chopped white onion
25g spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
½ tsp gentle soy sauce
2 tbsp darkish soy sauce
50g recent coriander leaves, finely chopped
½ tbsp cornflour slurry (ie, cornflour combined to a paste with slightly water)

Put the cauliflower in a bowl, add the flour, cornflour, salt and 150-200ml chilly water to make a thick batter, and blend so the florets are properly coated.

Set a wok over a excessive warmth, add enough oil for deep-frying, then, working in batches, fastidiously decrease in a number of the battered florets, separating them with tongs in the event that they stick collectively. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, till evenly crisp – don’t let the florets brown, as a result of they are going to be fried once more later – then drain on kitchen towel and repeat with the remaining battered cauliflower. Flip off the warmth, however depart the oil within the wok; chances are you’ll must scoop out the odd little bit of batter.

Now for the sauce. Warmth a second wok, add the oil, then stir-fry the garlic, ginger and chillies for a couple of minute, till barely aromatic. Add each onions, stir-fry for an additional two minutes, then add each soy sauces and the chopped coriander, and stir to mix. Add 20ml chilly water, depart to bubble, stirring, for 2 or three minutes, then stir within the cornflour slurry and cook dinner, nonetheless stirring, for a minute or two, till the sauce thickens.

Reheat the oil within the first wok, then, once more working in batches, deep-fry the cauliflower once more for 30 seconds to a minute, till crisp and golden brown. Raise out of the new oil, drain on kitchen towel, then stir into the sauce, so it covers each floret – work shortly, or the cauliflower will go soggy and lose its crunch.

Serve sizzling garnished with extra chopped coriander.

This humble egg noodle dish is called after the Hakka neighborhood who settled in Tangra, Kolkata’s Chinatown.

Prep 15 min
Cook dinner 10 min
Serves 2-3, as a facet

400g egg noodles
5-6 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
100g sliced white onion
100g carrots, trimmed and julienned
100g cabbage, julienned
50g inexperienced beans, minimize into 2½cm items
100g beansprouts
1½ tbsp darkish soy sauce
1½ tbsp gentle soy sauce
Salt, to style
2 spring onions, trimmed, inexperienced components solely sliced very thinly (save the whites for an additional use)

Convey a big pot of water to a boil, drop within the noodles, cook dinner for 2 minutes lower than it says on the packet, in order that they’re al dente, then drain and refresh below working chilly water.

Warmth the oil in a wok, add the white onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes, till gentle brown. Add the carrots, cabbage, beans and beansprouts, and stir-fry, tossing repeatedly, for one to 2 minutes. Don’t overcook the greens or they’ll lose their crunch. Loosen the noodles if want be, so they aren’t all clumped collectively (simply rinse them in heat water), then add to the wok with each soy sauces and stir-fry on a excessive warmth till the noodles are evenly colored and coated in sauce and all the things is properly combined collectively. Style for salt, modify as crucial, then switch to a platter, scatter over the sliced spring onions and serve.

A hen lollipop is only a winglet that’s been “frenched”, that means the meat is pulled to the top of the bone so seems to be a bit like a lollipop. It’s most likely probably the most recognised and extensively out there appetiser in Indian-Chinese language eating places in India, with every area utilizing its personal favorite spices within the marinade.

Prep 10 min
Marinate 30 min
Cook dinner 15 min
Makes 12

12 hen lollipops (ie, French-trimmed winglets)
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
Salt, to style
2 eggs, evenly overwhelmed
1 tsp crushed black peppercorns
1 tbsp darkish soy sauce
Vegetable or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp chopped inexperienced chilli
65g plain flour
3 tbsp cornflour
2 spring onions, trimmed, inexperienced components sliced thinly (save the whites for an additional use), to garnish

Put the hen lollipops, ginger-garlic paste, salt, eggs, half the crushed peppercorns and soy sauce in a bowl, toss to coat, then depart to marinate for half-hour.

In the meantime, put sufficient oil in a sizzling deep-sided wok or pan on a medium warmth. In a second bowl, combine the chopped ginger and garlic with the chilli powder, garam masala, inexperienced chilli, plain flour, cornflour, salt and remaining crushed peppercorns. Stir in 100ml water, then add extra water little by little till you could have a thick batter.

As soon as the oil is medium sizzling, dip the marinated lollipops within the batter to coat, then deep-fry in batches for eight to 10 minutes, till the lollipops are cooked via and golden (they need to float to the highest when carried out). Drain on kitchen paper, then switch to a platter, garnish with the spring onion greens and serve piping sizzling.