Over the years as my journey as a budding home cook begun, I mastered the Veg Hakka part, but yet hadn't tried the fusion recipe, until I started this blog and as I was going through all my recipe collections( a manuscript from the days when digitalization was unknown) with my daughter, she said: "why not try this now"? and I gave in to the idea and don't regret it at all. That said, this fusion recipe is a Paratha(Indian bread) with stuffed Veg Hakka noodles. Let's get to the recipe right away.
PREP TIME: 15Mins COOK TIME: 40Mins+30mins(cooling)
TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 25 Mins COURSE: MAIN
CUISINE: FUSION SERVINGS: 4
AUTHOR: Rajni Ram
Ingredients for paratha dough.
Wheat flour--3 cups
oil-- 1 tsp
salt--1 tsp
water for combining the dough.
Ingredients for the Veg Hakka Noodles:
Veg Hakka Noodles -- 1 packet
Onion- 1 medium-sized( can use spring onions too, finely chopped)
Carrot --1 small grated coarsely
Capsicum- 1 finely chopped
Garlic- 5 cloves finely chopped
Green Chillies- 2 finely chopped
Tomato- 1 large finely chopped
Schezwan sauce 3 tsp
Tomato sauce 2 tsp
salt as per taste
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Directions for Parathas:
Take the wheat flour in a deep dish or a large plate. Add salt and the oil. Mix well and add water little by little as you knead to form a stiff dough. The dough must be stiffer than the Chapati dough. If the dough is loose, add a little more flour and knead again. Form a ball of the dough. Apply a little oil to your palms and spread it on the dough. Cover and rest it for half an hour.
Directions for the Veg Hakka noodles:
Boil around 1.5 litres of water in a wide-mouthed vessel. As the water comes to a boil add the uncooked Hakka noodles( broken to small bits around a fingers length) and a tsp of salt and cook. The noodles must be cooked aldente meaning a little undone( this comes with some practise). Keep stirring so that you know when to switch off the heat. Remove a few strands of noodles from the pot and do the cook test, that is, use a spatula to cut the noodles. If it cuts through easily, put off the heat, drain water from the noodles immediately and rinse the noodles in plain water(room temperature) 2 to 3 times, and drain the water. apply a little oil to the noodles and let it cool a bit.
As the noodles cool off let's get the vegetables ready. In a wok or Karahi, take the oil and heat. Add the finely chopped garlic and green chillies and fry till you get a good garlicky aroma. Add the finely chopped onions, followed by the capsicum and saute well. Next, add in the grated carrots and cook for a minute. Now add the tomatoes followed by salt and red chilli powder and cook for a few minutes. Once the tomatoes turn mushy add both the sauces( you can mix them ahead in the said ratio) and cook until semi-dry. Add in the cooked Hakka noodles and mix well. Veg Hakka is ready. allow it to cool. This can be made ahead and kept.
Method to stuff the parathas:
Take the resting dough and divide it into 10 equal parts. If you want bigger parathas to divide into 8 portions. Take one ball, dust it with flour and roll out into a small circle. Fill it with the noodles stuffing and seal the ends nicely. Dust it with flour again place it on the counter and flatten it with your palm, so that the stuffing spreads evenly. Now roll it out with a light hand without applying pressure into a little thick circle. Put a girdle on the stove and heat it. Place the paratha on the girdle and cook it, apply a tsp of oil and flip it, apply another tsp oil, and cook both sides well, until you see small brown dots. Repeat for all the 10 balls. The Chinese Parathas are ready, Bon Appetit.
STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:
1. Assemble all ingredients.
2. For Parathas, Take the flour in a deep dish or big plate. Add the salt and oil. Pour water little by little and start combining the flour. Don't use too much water as we want a tough but pliable dough. As you combine the flour knead it well. It has to be smooth. Smear a little oil on the dough, cover it and let it rest for half an hour.
2. For the Hakka noodles, boil water in a widemouthed vessel. Break the noodles into finger length pieces and keep ready. When water begins to boil, drop the noodles gently into the water add a little salt and let it cook.
3. Keep stirring as we don't want the noodles sticking together. Also, we have to cook it aldente( not cook it all the way through). Once done, drain the water and rinse the noodles in plain water(room temperature), smear little oil and let it cool.
4. Prepare the vegetable mixture by heating oil in a wok/ Karahi. Add finely cut garlic to the oil and the green chillies too. Fry nicely.
5. Add the finely chopped onions to this and saute. Add in the capsicum, cook for a minute and, add in the grated carrot. Cook for 2mins on low heat.
6. Add the tomatoes, salt, red chilli powder, and both sauces( i have combined them both in the said ratio) and cook until the mixture is semi-dry.
7. Add the cooked noodles little at a time and combine well. Put off the stove and cool the filling.
8. To make the parathas, divide the dough into 10 equal parts. Take one ball from that and dust it with dry flour. Roll this into a small circle a little smaller than your palm. fill in the filling with a spoon, about 2 tbsp into each circle. bring the edges together and seal them.
9. Dust with flour again and roll it out into a bigger and thick circle. Put a girdle to heat and place the rolled out paratha on the girdle. smear oil on the side facing up and flip it. smear oil again after flipping and cook both sides until brown spots appear.
10. The Chinese Paratha is ready to serve with some raita.
NOTES:
1. I have used only a few vegetables here, you can add spring onion too, but it's better to not go over the top with vegetables here as rolling the Paratha may become tough.
2. The filling has to be quiet dry or else it will start oozing out of the bread while rolling.
3. Cooking the noodles as mentioned is better, as overcooked noodles will clam together, and rolling the Paratha will be difficult.
4. I have served the paratha with Raita and tomato ketchup and not pickle as most parathas, as this Chinese Paratha being a fusion may not go with pickle. But if you prefer it that way, do go ahead as what the palate demands is what it should get.
If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. Would love to hear from you.
Authentic sumptuous fusion of Indo Chinese cuisine...unique taste to relish the taste buds.
ReplyDelete