Calling for all the soup lovers out there…! I have something special for you today! Lemme first ask you a simple question, Are you just a lover of soup, or noodles, or even Both? If both, then you are on my team and definitely going to enjoy my dish of the day.

I’ve never had a winter pass by without giving me a cold, and I just hate myself being on that stage. During those days when I was sick and in no mood to cook, readymade soup packets were my lifesavers; they are appetizing, revitalizing, and soothes your throat and nose from all those irritations. Instant ramen noodles are one of my favorite suppers on lazy night. But at times the seasonings in them get way too hot for my husband, and that’s when I decided to start making my own noodle soups.

Homemade Asian style soup bowls are so easy to make than you would imagine, and they are perfect for cold weathers. Have a bowl of hot soup, and then curl under a blanket watching Netflix… life feels so peaceful!!!

You don’t need a long list of vegetables or proteins to make this recipe. Throw in some veggies (even frozen ones will work) and broth to a soup pot along with noodles and boil it, your soup is ready. All that in under 30 minutes! This soup tastes great with any type of greens, so if you’re unable to find bok choy, you can use spinach or any greens of your choice!

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup

Fuel Yourselves with this Cozy n Easy Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup! With Mushrooms, Carrots, Bok Choy, Green Onions and Soft Runny Eggs... The Perfect Comfort Bowl…!!

Course Soup

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword chicken ramen soup, noodles,, soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cooked and sliced)
• Any neutral oil / sesame oil (as required)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp chilly garlic sauce
• 2 tbsp low sodium soya sauce
• 4½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
• ½ cup sliced carrots
• ½ cup shiitake mushroom
• 3 bok choy (trim off the stem ends, sliced)
• ½ cup green onion (chopped)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 packs of instant ramen noodles (seasonings discarded)
• Salt (as required)

Instructions

• For soft boiled eggs: Fill a pot with water (just enough to cover the eggs), pinch of salt and bring to boil. Once it starts to boil, lower the heat and gently add eggs one at a time. Allow the eggs to cook for 6 minutes for a perfect runny yolk or 9-10 minutes for a hard-boiled egg.
• Fill a large bowl with ice water, transfer the eggs to the ice water to stop the cooking process. Once it is cooled, peel them and slice into half.
• For the soup: Heat a little oil in a large heavy bottomed pan, add ginger and garlic. Sauté until fragrant.
• Add mushrooms, saute for one minute.
• Add soya sauce, chili garlic sauce, broth and bring to boil on high heat. Once it starts boiling, lower the heat and add chicken, allow it to simmer for 5 minutes uncovered. Add the dried instant ramen noodles along with shredded carrots, bok choy and half of the green onions.
• Allow it to boil for 2-5 minutes or until the noodles are soft. Check for the seasonings.
• Ladle soup equally into bowls, top with soft boiled eggs and remaining green onions. Serve immediately.

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This Chicken Lo Mein Recipe – Easy, Satisfying, Delicious, and Comforting…!

So, let’s talk about comfort food today…We all have our own Comfort Food Haven! It usually consists of dishes from our native cuisine and may extend to a few from other cuisines too. They become an integral part of our life; be it a day when you are not in a good mood / unwell, or while away and miss your home n family, or even just lazy on a weekend and longing to cook a quick meal. Apart from Indian dishes I do have my collection of comfort foods, especially the ones which I can cook in 30 minutes or less on my lazy days. And among those, Asian recipes take the top spot! In India, we are so familiar with Asian recipes like stir fry noodles, fried rice, momos, & manchurian recipes, although the preparations differ mainly from a spice stand point with lots of pepper, vinegar and some soya sauce added, to make the Indianized versions of them complete. And if you didn’t know, in India these dishes are a major attraction at road side eateries too.

I am a big fan of Stir fry noodle recipes; be it Indianized, Lo Mein or Pad Thai, I just love it! This Chicken Lo Mien recipe is one of my favorites which I keep on repeating often. I can confidently say that this is the easiest foolproof recipe of Chicken Lo Mein, and all it takes is just 30 minutes to cook.  The sauce in this recipe is a Star, and you should now seriously consider skipping the Chinese takeouts and make your own Chicken Lo Mein at home with this simple homemade sauce. It is flavorful, light, slightly sweet, and the best part of all – like any Asian recipe, you can modify it with your choice of veggies and protein. (Check Notes)

Pro tip: Start preparing your noodles in a pot parallelly while you cook chicken and veggies in a wok/pan. While everything is cooking, prepare the sauce too in a separate bowl. That’s a Superman’s work, I know, but this can save you time as everything comes together easily and all you need do in the end is it to toss all four (chicken, veggies, noodles, sauce) and Enjoy…!!

Cheers, Happy Cooking…!

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Chicken Lo Mein

Stir Fried Chicken Lo Mein Noodles with Veggies tossed in a simple Homemade Sauce… So Easy and Yummilicious, better than your Chinese takeout…!!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword chicken lo mein

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 3 tbsp low sodium soya sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• Pinch of red chili flakes

For the Chicken Lo Mein

• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into thin strips)
• 8 oz. Egg noodles / Chinese Lo Mein noodles / Udon / Spaghetti
• 2 garlic (minced)
• ½ inch sized ginger (minced)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
• 1 carrot (sliced into sticks)
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• Spring onions (finely chopped)
• Sesame seeds (garnish)
• Sesame oi/vegetable oil (as required)
• Salt and pepper (as required)

Instructions

• Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles and toss in some oil to prevent sticking. Keep aside.
• Prepare the sauce by whisking the ingredients listed for the sauce in a small bowl and set aside for later use.
• Heat some oil in a pan / wok on medium heat and add chicken strips. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes until it is cooked well on both sides and no longer pink inside. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
• In the same pan add oil (if necessary), sauté ginger and garlic until fragrant, followed by adding sliced veggies, and season with salt n pepper. Cook for 2 minutes or until the veggies are soft.
• Transfer the cooked noodles and chicken, to the pan with veggies. Pour the prepared sauce, toss for 2 minutes to mix everything together.
• Garnish with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds.
• Serve hot immediately.

Notes

1. Choice of Ingredients:
   • Veggies: Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Carrots, Beans, Bean sprouts, Mushroom, Cabbage, Zucchini, Bok Choy, Snow Peas.
   • Protein: Chicken, Beef, Shrimp, Egg, Tofu, Paneer

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One of the newest additions to my Favorite Recipes collection – Quinoa Fried Rice, has become my latest crush! A total fuss free recipe with fewer ingredients, a zillion health benefits, and takes hardly 15 minutes to cook.

So, why Quinoa? Quinoa is high in protein, fiber, and minerals, and also a healthy substitute for rice. It fits perfectly with the Eat Healthy mantra of the modern world which although is dominated by salads, but quinoa makes a great low-calorie replacement to regular rice recipes.

Now, why Fried Rice? Well, to me it is the best possible way to clear your leftover veggies at home, but this time not along with rice, instead quinoa. Or if you are a parent worrying on how to make your kids eat veggies, this is your answer; it’s colorful, tasty, and of course loaded with all the good stuffs! Also, your customizing options are ample; add or replace with tofu, paneer, eggs, chicken or meat, as you like. I am sure you’re gonna love this dish if you are a fan of Chinese takeout dinner nights, like me.

There is no big list of sauces to this recipe, just two; Soya sauce and Chili Garlic sauce. I love using chili garlic sauce in my Asian inspired dishes, especially in stir fry and fried rice recipes.  You can substitute it with sriracha sauce, but I highly recommend Chili garlic sauce. Trust me… it tastes so damn good.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Quinoa Fried Rice with Grilled Pineapple

Healthy n Nutritious Quinoa Fried Rice loaded with Veggies and Grilled Pineapple… A Perfect Rice substitute, Tastes way better than your regular Takeouts…!! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword fried rice, quinoa, quinoa fried rice

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa (cooked and cooled)
• 2 garlic (minced)
• ½ of an onion (chopped)
• ½ cup green beans (chopped)
• 1 carrot (chopped)
• ¼ cup edamame / green peas
• 2 tbsp soya sauce / tamari
• 2-3 tsp chili garlic sauce / sriracha sauce
• 3 pineapple rings
• Salt and pepper (as required)
• 1 tbsp oil (olive / sesame / vegetable oil)
• ¼ cup green onions (chopped, garnish)

Instructions

• Cook quinoa according to package directions.

  OR

  Rinse the quinoa and drain. Combine quinoa with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat to a low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and germ has spiraled out.
• Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, sauté garlic until its fragrant. Add the chopped veggies (except edamame/green peas) and cook until the vegetables turn tender. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile on a grill pan, cook pineapple rings on medium heat, 5 minutes on each side, until they become slightly caramelized / tender. You can brush with a little oil / butter if desired. Remove from the pan and slice the rings into bite size pieces.
• Add cooked quinoa, edamame, soya sauce and chili garlic sauce, into the pan with cooked vegetables. Toss for 3-4 minutes to combine well. Add chopped pineapple slices, mix well and garnish with green onions.

Notes

1. You can use your choice of vegetables like bell pepper, snow peas, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, or corn, and also include eggs and any protein as desired.

2. Chili garlic sauce works best for this recipe, but you can substitute it with sriracha sauce.

3. This same recipe can be used to make fried rice with your choice of cooked and cooled brown/white rice.

4. You can refrigerate the prepared dish in an air tight container for up to 4-5 days.

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This is my faaavourite Thai Curry, inspired from my honeymoon trip to Thailand! Since then, whichever Thai restaurants I go to, this dish would be my first choice. After seeing me repeating the same dish every time, my husband suggested me to try preparing it at home. It was about time, and that’s how all this came together…

It is said “Great Ingredients make Great Food”, and that’s exactly how I feel about this recipe. A simple and authentic curry in 30 minutes time; it’s so comforting, packed full of flavours, with the aroma of the leaves, richness from the coconut milk, spiciness of the paste, saltiness from the fish sauce, and sweetness of the sugar. If you need some extra spice – add some serrano peppers! And the best part of this recipe is, I managed to pull it off in restaurant quality style, trust me!!!

The hero of this dish is the Panang curry paste which is prepared from dried chili peppers, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime zest, coriander root, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, shallot, shrimp paste, salt and peanuts.  I have used a store bought paste due to the unavailability of all the ingredients in my nearby grocery stores. If you are allergic to peanuts by chance, most of the store bought Panang curry paste omits the use of peanuts so as to keep it safe for everyone.

The authentic curry calls for kaffir lime leaves, which is an inevitable part of Thai dishes especially soups, curries or stir fried dishes. If you are planning to add Kaffir lime leaves in your curry, make sure you remove its stem and chop leaves into a julienne cut (cut into long thin strips). Generally people tend to discard it if left as a whole. The zest of lime is also a substitute for kaffir lime leaves (6 leaves = 1 tbsp zest). And like me if you couldn’t get these leaves, using Thai basil leaves instead is another good option. Basil is not an exact substitution, but it has a unique flavour which stands up to Thai dishes.

The dish is usually made with any protein which is also cut into thin strips. That helps in ensuring a proper cook quickly as the dish is not boiled long since it contains coconut milk which may split. The concentration of coconut milk has to remain very thick to give the richness to the curry. For vegetarians, alternatives for fish sauce will be vegetable stock or soy sauce. Tofu can be used in place of meat.

I highly recommend you to read the “Notes section” below for the variations.

Enjoy this Thai delicacy…!!!

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Prep time: 25-30 minutes
Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb chicken tenderloin / breast (cut into thin strips)
• Oil (as required)
• 2 tbsp panang curry paste (store bought)
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar (or palm sugar)
• ½ cup bell peppers (sliced)
• 3 tbsp water
• 8-10 Thai basil leaves (plus extra for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a pan with little oil and start sautéing the panang curry paste on a medium flame until it is aromatic (for 2 mins). Make sure not to burn the paste.
2. Add the thick part of the coconut milk (4 tbsp), saute well until the oil starts to separate.
3. Add the chicken pieces, basil leaves, and the rest of the coconut milk along with a little water.
4. Bring the heat to low, add bell peppers, fish sauce and brown sugar, and allow it to cook for 5-7 mins. Turn off the heat when the chicken is completely cooked.
5. Garnish with additional basil leaves.

Serve with steamed white rice/ fried rice.

Note:

1. For Vegetarians, substitute protein with tofu, and fish sauce with vegetable stock or soya sauce. Use gluten free soya sauce like tamari to make this recipe gluten free.
2. If you are preparing the Panang curry paste on your own rather than a store bought one, you may need to increase the quantity of the paste to 4 tbsp because store bought paste is usually concentrated.
3. Palm sugar (authentic ingredient) can be replaced with light brown sugar or sugar.
4. Kaffir lime leaves (authentic ingredient) can be replaced with lime zest (6 leaves = 1 tbsp zest) or with Thai basil leaves.
5. Fish sauce / soya sauce already has plenty of salt in it, so season only if necessary.
6. Use Serrano peppers for extra spiciness.

Interested in more Thai recipes? Check these out:

Pad Thai with Shrimp

Rice Noodles with Chicken & Veggies

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