on Mar 15, 2022, Updated Jul 03, 2024 I am a sucker for Indo-Chinese recipes! American chopsuey is one of my childhood favorites. I just love the gravy, which, combined with crunchy noodles, hits all the right notes – sweet, salty, tangy, crunchy. In China, a chop suey is a simple vegetable stir fry with sauce. When this came to India, it was Indianised and served with crispy fried noodles – a genius addition that takes this stir fry to another level. The best chop suey is served fresh, with the vegetables still crunchy. That’s why I prefer to make it at home and serve it right away. It might sound complicated, but it actually comes together in just 15 minutes once you’ve prepped everything. Making American chopsuey at home gives me the assurance that my dish has been made using the best quality frying oil and fresh vegetables. Sometimes I feel like I’ve turned into my mom – always wanting to make sure my family gets the freshest food without compromising on taste. Who else?
Only 30 minutes – and the prep takes the longest. Use a food processor to make quick work of all the choppingIt packs in a lot of veggies – perfect for kids!It doesn’t require any exotic grocery shopping – very pantry friendly. Use what you have in the fridge So versatile – add some paneer, chicken or even seafood. Use the veggies you have at hand. Only don’t change anything about the lip smacking sweet and sour sauce!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Fried Noodles: So easy to make at home – I even have a fried noodle recipe for you to try. Or take a shortcut and just buy pre fried noodles. Also make extras because these disappear fast!Veggies: Chop suey is pretty versatile so you can add any veggies you have at hand. Thinly chopped carrots, capsicum, bell peppers, mushrooms, cabbage and onions work well in chop suey.Tomato Ketchup: This adds a tangy and sweet flavor to the stir fry – giving it that classic Indo-Chinese taste. Sriracha Sauce: A little bit of sriracha goes a long way in this recipe! I love the faint heat that it adds. If you don’t have sriracha, you can replace it with any red chili sauce. Soy Sauce: Either naturally fermented or naturally brewed soy sauce will work here. This gives the gravy that lovely brown color and adds umami to the dish. Corn Flour: For coating the noodles and thickening our stir fry sauce. Lime Juice: For tanginess! Don’t skip this! Sugar: Adding a little sugar balances out the other flavors, making this gravy super yum!
How to make American Chopsuey
- Drain the noodles and transfer onto a kitchen towl and air dry them, allowing the moisture to evaporate or get absorbed. Once the noodles are dry, sprinkle some corn flour and set aside. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the noodles until golden brown. Remove from oil and transfer onto a plate lined with tissue.
- Saute garlic and ginger with a tablespoon of oil in a wok or kadai on high heat until fragrant. Add onions and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add cabbage, bell peppers, carrot and beans. Saute on high for 2-3 minutes while stirring continuously.
- Add ketchup, red chilli sauce/sriracha, salt, pepper, soy sauce, sugar and toss to combine.
- Combine corn flour with 2-3 tablespoons of water and add it to the wok. Stir to combine and ensure there are no lumps.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of water and mix to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes or until desired thickness is achieved. You can add more water to adjust the consistency according to your liking.
- Serve the gravy hot over fried noodles!
Watch the Recipe Video
LOVE THIS RECIPE? Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to receive all new recipes! Chopping: Cut the veggies into thick juliennes or strips (as shown) so that they don’t go soggy too fast and stay crisp. Lime Juice: This is an important element to the sauce as the tanginess really helps balance out the other flavours, but it should be added right at the end to keep its freshness. Serving: Once you pour the gravy over crispy noodles, serve this immediately so that the noodles do not become soggy. You can serve separate gravy bowls for whoever is eating to pour themselves. Air Fryer Noodles: We tested air frying and deep frying the noodles because they were the only ‘unhealthy’ element of this dish. And honestly, we couldn’t tell the difference. Find the method for deep frying noodles in the recipe notes below. Conclusion: The next time you’re craving something crunchy, tangy, spicy, and sweet, you know what to make! This veg chop suey recipe will definitely make your belly and heart full. There’s nothing like cooking up those childhood favorite meals! You can check out my detailed blog post on Crispy Fried Noodles to ace them on the first go. If you like the crunch of fried noodles, you have got to try the Mumbai favorite Thread Paneer. Another tangy and spicy favorite of mine is Chicken Manchow Soup, topped with crispy fried noodles.
