Chinese Vegetable Noodles

I was never a big fan of noodles. But my son Aniket is.This was when we had travelled to London and when we visited Campton Town. A lovely shopping area filled with innumerous by lanes and by lanes of cloth shops, small eat outs serving cuisines from all around the world and lots of souvenir shops to take back some memories home.

As usual I was window shopping fascinated with every shop that appeared before me…till I got hungry and my stomach started growling at me…My husband who abhors shopping kept throwing  his usual bored  look at me.He complained I was taking too much time in each shop.so we decided to eat,finally.We proceeded to choose from a long by lane full of small eateries .There was Italian, Indian, Chinese, Mexican - name any cuisine from any country it was all there….For some odd reason I decided to try Chinese that day. That was Aniket’s first taste of Chinese …and he loved it.We hogged on Chinese noodles, tempuras and spicy Manchurians and he kept motioning me to give him some more of the Noodles…

I remember during my childhood, all my friends loved Maggie noodles. It was always one of their lunch box favourites. But not for me.Things changed and slowly the Maggie monopoly ended with the entry of other competitors like Top ramen and Knorr. But I still disliked Noodles whatever the brand.

I made Noodles for Aniket  today. I served him some noodles on a small plate and absentmindedly left it in front of him while I went to the kitchen to get him some water. I came back in time just to see my 2 year old son had just grown an “instantaneous noodle beard” he had just stuffed some noodles into his mouth…an  earnest attempt to eat something he loved on his own and impress mummy?. Hey he seemed to like it, unlike me.ok my little man if u love noodles so much U shall have more of it…..and may be just Maybe I’ll learn to love it too, With you.

Ingredients

Noddles-170-200 gms

Carrots-1/2 of medium sized(long cut)

Capsicum-1/2 of medium sized(long cut)

Cabbage- A handful(long cut)

Beans-2 or 3 (longcut)

Onion-1/2 of a medium sized onion9long cut)

Ginger garlic paste-1 tsp.

Spring onion-1 cup

Soy sauce- 2 tsp.

Water-4 1/2 cup or 1 ltr

Vinegar- 1 tsp

Pepper-1/2 tsp

Green chilli sauce-2 tsp

Method

Boil 1 ltr or 41/2 cups of water (enough to immerse the noodle. Add salt and 1 tsp. oil.to it when it bubbles add noodles.

Reduce to medium flame. Close vessel with lid and cook for 4-5 minutes until noodles are soft.

Drain water. Keep noodles in the drainer under a tap of cold running water. Drain the cold water. Add 1 tbsp. of oil and mix it gently with your finger. This keeps the strands separate and glossy.

Heat 3 tbsps. Of oil in a large wok. Sauté the onions for a few seconds. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté (30 sec -1 min)

Add carrot, beans, cabbage then capsicum and sauté for 2-3 minutes in high flame till vegetables are crisp and cooked but not too soft.

Add spring onions and sauté for 1 minute on high flame.

In high flame add soya sauce and stir well. Then simmer.

Add green chilli sauce, pepper, salt, vinegar. Toss the veggies.

Add noodles. Toss or mix with fork in swirling upward motion.