Ingredients

1. Oil – 2 tbsp
2. Chilli paste – 1/2 tsp
3. Sugar - a pinch
4. Chilli garlic sauce (Maggi brand) – 3 tbsp
5. Dark Soya sauce – 2 1/2 tbsp
6. Rice vinegar – 2 tbsp
7. Ajinomoto or MSG – 1/2 tsp
8. Black or white pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
9. Chilli oil (home made, optional) – 1 tsp
10. Sesame oil – 1 1/2 tsp
11. Stock – 2 1/2 cup
12. Chicken or vegetable stock cube (Knorr) – 1
13. Salt - as per taste

Vegetables

14. Garlic – 2 1/2 tsp
15. Ginger – 1 1/2 tsp
16. Green chilli (chopped) – 1
17. Cabbage – 2 tbsp
18. Beans – 2 tbsp
19. Red capsicum – 1 tbsp
20. Green capsicum -1 tbsp
21. Mushroom - 2 or 4 tbsp
22. Carrot – 3 tbsp
23. Spring onion (chopped) – 1
24. Corn starch – corn flour 2 tsp + water 1/3 cup

Garnishing

25. Fried noodles – 1 cup
26. Spring onion (green leaves) – 1

Stock

27. Water – 5 cups or 1 litre
28. Onion (medium) – 1
29. Spring onion – 1
30. Carrot (medium) – 1
31. Garlic (crushed) – 3
32. Ginger – 1 (3 inches or small thumb size)
33. Black pepper corns – 1 tsp

Method

For stock

1. Cut the vegetables roughly and add them with their skin.
2. Add water and all the ingredients; boil for 10 minutes on medium flame and then 30minutes on simmer, by closing the lid.
3. Switch off, strain and keep it aside. I have not added salt in this stock. But if adding chicken stock cube or store bought stock, check for the salt content and then add salt as needed in the vegetable manchow soup.

For manchow soup

4. Chop the vegetables finely or thinly sliced. Chop spring onion white part separately and green part separately, keep it ready.
5. For fried noodles, I took egg noodles or any noodles like ramen or maggi noodles , just fried directly in the oil, it just gets cooked fast and crispy. Remove and keep it aside for garnishing.
6. Or first boil, dry and then fry in oil.
7. Preheat a vessel with oil; Add chilli paste, sauté for 30 seconds on medium flame.
8. Add garlic and ginger, spring onion (white part), green chilli for few seconds till it sizzles and gets light transparent colour.
9. Add all the vegetables with ajinomotto and vegetable or chicken stock cube (optional) for more extra flavour, sauté for 2 minute on medium flame.
10. Add soya sauce and chilli garlic sauce; sauté for 15 seconds.
11. Add vegetable stock and allow to boil for 3minutes on medium flame, simmer for 5minutes, until the vegetables are cooked and well blended.
12. Add chilli oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, spring onion (green part), stir well.
13. Taste the soup and check weather salt or any sauce is required.
14. At this stage add corn starch and boil for 2, the soup starts thickens or until the soup thickens and is as per your consistency and is cooked well (mix water and corn flour for the corn starch, mix well and add to the soup).
15. At this stage add vinegar more and pepper powder again very little, if needed or just simmer for 3 to 4 minutes as per your consistency and switch off.
16. Serve in a bowl and garnish with fried noodles and spring onions (green leaves).

Notes

1. If the soup thickens add more stock or water.
2. Add salt as per taste in the end.
3. I didn’t add salt for the stock (home made) and vegetable stock cube is for extra flavour, which is totally optional.
4. Soak Kashmir chillies in hot water for 2hours or until it softens and make a paste by grinding the chillies.
5. Add vegetables as per your liking and the quantity and garlic and ginger also.
6. You can add chopped onion, bamboo shoot, cottage cheese (paneer) and few rice noodles also. Refer my chicken manchow soup and hot and sour soup with different taste.