Indo-Chinese · serves 2

Chicken Manchow Soup

Thick, peppery, with fried noodles on top. Twenty-five minutes and it eats like a meal.

25 min Some work Non-vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 250g chicken, shredded
  • 2 cups finely chopped vegetables (cabbage, carrot, beans, capsicum)
  • 8 garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger, minced
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp chilli sauce
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 3 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 5 cups stock
  • A handful of noodles to fry
  • 3 tbsp oil

Method

  1. Fry a small handful of boiled noodles in hot oil till crisp. Drain. That crunch on top is the whole point of manchow.
  2. Garlic and ginger in oil, 20 seconds, then chicken till it changes colour.
  3. All the vegetables, chopped very fine, 3 minutes on high.
  4. Stock, soy, chilli sauce, salt and lots of pepper. Boil 5 minutes.
  5. Cornflour mixed with cold water, stirred in till it thickens and goes glossy.
  6. Vinegar off the heat. Crispy noodles and spring onion on top of each bowl.

Questions people ask about Chicken Manchow Soup

How long does Chicken Manchow Soup take?

About 25 minutes from starting to sitting down, and it is a bit of work. Most of that is active, so read the method through before you start rather than chopping as you go.

What is the one thing to get right in Chicken Manchow Soup?

Fry a small handful of boiled noodles in hot oil till crisp. Drain. That crunch on top is the whole point of manchow.

What can I use instead of chicken in Chicken Manchow Soup?

Use paneer, firm tofu or mushrooms. All three cook far faster than chicken, so add them in the last 5 minutes rather than at the start.

Can I make Chicken Manchow Soup ahead of time?

You can prepare it a few hours ahead and reheat gently. It keeps two days in the fridge, though it is best on the day.

Can I make Chicken Manchow Soup vegetarian?

Yes. Replace the chicken with paneer, firm tofu, mushrooms or soya chunks. All of them cook far faster than meat, so add them in the last five minutes rather than at the start, and keep the masala exactly as written.

What do you serve with Chicken Manchow Soup?

Crispy noodles and spring onion on top of each bowl. It serves two as written. Double everything to feed four, but use a wider pan so the food still browns rather than steams.

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