Nasuha Blog

Indo Chinese food has always been a favorite at home and with so many variations which can be done in this cuisine, there is no dearth of recipes to come up with. This sweet and sour vegetables is a very old recipe of mine and I have been making it since a long time. Every time I clean my refrigerator and the half of that red bell pepper or a few of those mushrooms needs to be cooked soon, this recipe comes in handy. Throw in which ever vegetable you have at hand and a few sauces along and you have a delicious meal ready with no effort. This dish gets it's sweet taste from the brown sugar and the sourness comes from the vinegar and lemon juice. Pair it with some steamed rice and trust me you will have a restaurant style Indo Chinese dish to relish in the comfort of your home. Here is how to make this recipe.


All you need is

Red capsicum - 2 ( cut into cubes )
Yellow capsicum - 2 ( cut into cubes )
Green capsicum - 1 ( cut into cubes )
Mushroom - 200 g ( sliced )
Carrot - 2 ( sliced )
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 2 tbsp ( chopped )
Ginger - 1 tbsp ( finely chopped )
Tofu or Paneer - 200 g ( cut into cubes )
Peanuts - 1\4 cup
Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Red chili sauce - 2 tbsp
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Brown sugar - 2 tbsp
Red chili paste - 1 tbsp
MSG - 1 tsp ( optional )
Salt to taste
White pepper powder - 1\2 tsp
Cornflour - 2 tbsp
Green onions for garnishing


Method of preparation

Heat vegetable oil and sesame oil in a wok.
When the oil is very hot, add ginger and garlic and fry for a few seconds.
Add the chopped vegetables and saute for a few minutes on high heat.
Add tofu and peanuts.
Add 2 cups of water in the wok.
Add soy sauce, red chili sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, red chili paste, MSG, salt and white pepper powder and let the mixture come to a boil.
Mix cornflour with a little water and add it in the wok.
Cook till the sauce thickens.
Garnish with spring onion greens.
Serve with either plain rice or Pineapple fried rice as I did. Recipe of Pineapple fried rice coming soon.

As you all know, Indo Chinese is one of the favorite cuisine in my house and I recently made a combination of Burnt Garlic Noodles with this delicious Vegetables in Chili and Garlic Sauce. The meal was a hit at home as everyone licked their bowls clean. I have already shared the recipe to make burnt garlic noodles. Here is the recipe to make Vegetables in chili garlic sauce.


All you need is

Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Dry red chilies - 15-20
Garlic - 10-12 cloves
Onion - 2 ( cut into big squares )
Red, yellow and green bell peppers - half each ( cut into squares )
Broccoli - a small head ( cut into small florets )
Cauliflower - 1 cup ( cut into small florets )
Mushroom - 200 g ( cut into half )
Carrots - 1\2 cup ( cut into thin slices )
Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Red chili sauce - 2 tbsp
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Fish sauce - 1 tsp ( optional )
Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp
MSG - 1 tsp
Salt to  taste
Cornflour - 3 tbsp
Spring onion greens - 1\2 cup ( finely chopped )


Method of preparation

Soak the dry red chilies in warm water for 10 - 15 minutes.
Drain the water and blend the chilies in a blender to make a paste.
keep aside.
Heat sesame oil in a wok.
Add garlic and fry till lightly browned.
Add onions and saute for a minute.
Add all the vegetables and saute for a minute.
Add water in the wok till it cover the vegetables.
let the water come to a boil.
Add soy sauce, red chili sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, tomato ketchup and dry red chili paste.
Add MSG and salt to taste.
Mix well.
Dissolve the cornflour in little water and add it to the wok.
Cook for 3-4 minutes, till the gravy thickens.
You can add a little more cornflour dissolved in water if you want a thicker gravy.
Garnish with spring onion greens.
Serve hot with fried rice or noodles.