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Indian Chinese Fusion Food
By: Hemalata
Indian-Chinese cuisine emerged as a result of the migration of Chinese to the
Indian subcontinent many decades ago. Most came from the Indo-China border for,
among other reasons, employment and political refuge. A feast of Indian Chinese
fusion food can be enjoyed at Indo Munch Restaurant.
As with Indian cooking, Chinese cooking is provincial and the staple is rice.
Some regions use more spices than others, and the types of dishes vary. But when
Indians went to Chinese restaurants in India, they were looking for spicy
Chinese food. What emerged was a cuisine that
merged Indian spices, which suited the local tastes, with classic Chinese
recipes and cooking techniques. In addition, dishes evolved that suited the
large Indian vegetarian population. And so Indian-Chinese food -- Indian spices
and seasonings overlaid with Chinese techniques -- was added to the other
culinary traditions.
Some popular dishes include dumplings in a hot, sweet, and sour sauce; Chinese
fried rice, a spicier and more Indian-like version of the classic dish; chili
cauliflower, marinated in hot peppers and garlic and deep-fried; and Hakka
noodles.
The noodle dish that takes its name from the Chinese province of Hakka is one of
the more popular Indian-Chinese dishes. Narrow and flat, almost square in shape,
Hakka noodles are made with durum wheat, with or without eggs. The vegan variety
is still rich in flavor, but light.
Hakka noodles, usually served as a main course, are stir-fried with cabbage,
carrots, red bell peppers, and snow peas. They're not especially saucy in the
pan, but a hot, vinegar-based sauce and soy sauce accompany them at the table.
And though Indians eat their cuisine with their fingers or, in more formal
settings, a fork, the Indo-Chinese continue, as always, to use chopsticks.
For delectable varieties of spicy and tasty Indian
Chinese food is the place which is a fusion cuisine.
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