Chili Chicken and Spicy Vegetable Noodles

Ranking as favorite cuisine in India, next only to the local fare, is Chinese food. As the saying goes, the Chinese love their rice and noodles, so do Indians- Chinese rice and noodles, done the Indian way. Not always authentic though, it can be called fusion, and even then, not so much fusion as it is adaptation. It is said to have developed from the Chinese community that settled in Eastern India for more than a century. Indo- chinese cooking is an adjustment of Chinese cooking/flavorings suited to Indian tastes. Read lots of flavor, lots of  heat. From five star menus to mobile kitchens and highway dhabas (roadside stalls),  you'll find cooked up creations which include Chicken Manchurian, Hakka Noodles, Chili Fish and the popular "American Chopsuey"( no resemblance to the macaroni and ground beef dish).
And on those days, in our home, when cravings for Chinese just can't be satisfied with a trip to Little Schezuan down the street, I head to the kitchen to create a couple of our all time favorites. These vegetable laced noodles are served alongside a sauced- up, flavor-coated chicken, otherwise known as chili chicken. Chili chicken originally calls for flour- battered pieces to be fried and added to a piquant, curry-like gravy at the end. Here, I just marinade chicken pieces in minimal ingredients, bake at 400 degrees for 15, maybe 20 minutes, then layer into my already made sauce.

So, for those of you who feel a need to hit up  some Chinese take- out, head over here, instead, and hit your dinner menu straight out of the flavor ballpark!
Chili Chicken:

• 4 tbsp oil
• *1/2 tbp cayenne (chili powder)
• 1 tsp salt 
• 4 tbsp corn starch
• 1 lb boneless chicken (cut into1-inch pieces)
•  2 tbsp oil 
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped small
• *1 tsp finely chopped ginger
• *1 tsp finely chopped garlic 
• 1 chopped serrano pepper (green chili)
• 1 chopped bell pepper (capsicum- I use red)
•  3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1/2- 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce (depending on your need for heat)
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup water

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
•  Mix chicken pieces with cayenne, salt and lightly roll in cornstarch. Marinate  for 30 minutes.
• Smear a lined baking tray with 1 tablespoon oil and arrange your chicken pieces.
• Evenly pour a second tablespoon of oil over the chicken or coat pieces with cooking spray.
• Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. Take out of oven and keep aside.
• In remaining oil, on medium- high heat, saute onions and celery, 1-2 minutes.
• Add in the ginger, garlic, serrano pepper and finally bell pepper. Saute quickly.
• Pour in soy sauce, ketchup and chili garlic sauce, sugar and water.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add in chicken and take off the heat.

Spicy Vegetable Noodles:

• 16 oz fresh lomein noodles (1 packet)
• pot of boiling water (to soften the lomein)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 1 carrot, cut into small pieces
•  1 cup shredded napa cabbage
• 2 green onions, slivered, white and green parts
• *1/4 cup frozen peas 
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chili oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Sriracha

Method:
Soften the lomein in boiling water for 2-3 minutes before cooking.

Heat oil, add in onion, garlic, ginger and saute 

Keep heat at medium high, throw in the carrots, saute 1- 2 minutes, then cabbage. Don't let the veggies wilt.

Stir in your green onions and peas.

Mix in the sesame oil to the Sriracha, add lomein and combine ingredients so as the coat the noodles well.

Take off heat.

Serve with your chili chicken.

Notes: 
 * update on cayenne/ chili powder* Indian chili powder is just pure ground chili peppers and is what I am referring to or substituting cayenne with, unless mentioned otherwise. It is similar to the heat of cayenne, a red hot chili used in powdered form- so I use both the names in my ingredient list, whichever you have at hand is what you use. It isn't to be confused with the chili that is actually a blend of paprika, oregano, cumin and seasonings, most famously used in the dish known also as "chili".

Ginger and garlic pastes can stand in for finely chopped ginger/garlic.

Substitute fresh lomein with cooked, dried egg noodles or cooked spaghetti.

Peas will thaw once they hit the hot noodles.

Always adjust the level of spice/heat suited to your tastes.

 I freak out when I go to an Asian grocers and usually come back with cartfuls of colorful sauces and oils. As a result, lots of my "Chinese" preparations will contain a medley of seasonings. This combination of flavoring works in these dishes, but feel free to experiment -  heat, tang, sweet, sour- you have it all in these bottles.

Ok, I'm hoping you're seeing progressively decent pictures :-))  Since, I'm not much of a photographer, this past weekend saw me through an extensive walk of various blogs/ food photography sites. Thanks to the help of my sister-in- law, Annies who directed my search to numerous online tips and methods helpful in getting good shots.  Also, a much-needed trip to the library got me hooked on learning how to  take better pictures of my food. Can you see the page is visually flooded as a result of my camera experimentation? So as the viewing gets better, I hope you're all the more encouraged to try out a couple of these recipes:-)

My daily inspiration wells from my relationship with Jesus Christ. Minus Him, this blog or the motivation behind it would not have existed. So, I will share a slice of encouraging hope each time I end a post. Without which, the post and my life are incomplete. 

"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart."
~ Psalm 37:4 ~