Vegetarian Phở

Phở: We see this as a restaurant name very often in Northern California. I knew that it was an Asian dish which is pronounced as 'PH' and not 'FO'. But, little did I ever imagined that these restaurants would also serve a vegetarian version of the this dish. Maybe because of vegetarian/ vegan population in California, Pho is very popular here! 

While on a discussion with my friends few days back, we decided to go for Pho. It is a perfect winter comforting food. I said I have never had Pho, always very skeptical to go to an Asian restaurant as I am not sure of the broth or sauce they would use. The discussion made me very curious... I searched more on Pho from Vietnamese food bloggers, and I realized I love Pho! 

Pho is a rice noodle soup which I would normally have a my husband's cafeteria. In fact, I would specially go there to enjoy a hot bowl of hot noodle soup. They would refer to this as Soup Bowl. We could select the topping and with freshly boiled rice noodles and veggie broth, Pho was served in a large bowl. I would also add some chili paste to mine as I like it spicy :) 

Why did I not think earlier of making this at home?? I make veggie broth all the time for wonton soup and dumpling soup... so this would just be very easy.

Pho is a rice noodle bowl which is served with aromatic meat broth, slices of meat, and some veggies. I watched YouTube videos and found that people in Vietnam start their day with hot bowl of Pho. How comforting and delicious!!

So with my knowledge and style of veggie broth, I was on a mission to make Vegetarian Pho. The next part was selecting noodles...there were so many types. So while I stood in the Asian food aisle at Sprouts market, I started Googling for the rice noodles used in Pho. Check the links below. These bloggers have explained the Importance of Banh Pho. Pho means rice noodles and Banh Pho are flat noodles used in a bowl of Pho. 

"One can say that pho is not pho without the correct banh pho rice noodles in it." This sentence is from the website, Loving Pho:  Information about pho noodles

"How to buy Pho rice noodles?" Viet World Kitchen:  Types of Pho Rice noodles

Here is my recipe of making Vegetarian Pho:

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
5 cloves garlic
2 inch ginger
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 stalks of Lemon grass
1 star anise
6 cups water
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp.oil

To serve:
Bean sprouts
Pho noodles (flat narrow rice noodles)
Chopped cilantro
Chopped onion greens
Sliced Serrano or Jalepeno
Baby Bok Choy
Sliced mushrooms
Pan seared Tofu

• Finely chop veggies. Saute in a tbsp. of oil. Add lemongrass and star anise. Add 6 cups of water and salt, and simmer for for 45 minutes. Strain the veggies. Boil the broth before pouring in the Pho bowl and some pepper powder.
• Soak some rice noodles in a bowl of water for an hour. This makes the noodles soft and cooking them will take very little time. 
• Add soaked and softened noodles in a boiling water. Stir and let the noodles cook for 30-45 seconds.
• Get all the water off the noodles. Place hot noodles in a large serving bowl. Since noodles are the main part of the dish, they should be plently.
• Add toppings of your choice.
• Bean sprouts, mushrooms, bok choy, onion greens, cilantro, lime, green chilies.  
• Add tofu, brocolli, or veggies of your choice.
• Pour hot veggie broth over the veggies and noodles and serve.
• Add some spicy chili paste or sriracha.

 Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

To make veggie broth.

Finely chop veggies. Saute in a tbsp. of oil. Add lemongrass and star anise. Add 6 cups of water and salt, and simmer for for 45 minutes. Strain the veggies. Boil the broth before pouring in the Pho bowl and add some pepper powder.

Here is a pack of dried rice noodles. Soak some rice noodles in a bowl of water for an hour. This makes the noodles soft and cooking them will take very little time. 
Bánh Phở

Add soaked and softened noodles in a boiling water. Stir and let the noodles cook for 30-45 seconds.

Get all the water off the noodles. Place hot noodles in a large serving bowl. Since noodles are the main part of the dish, they should be plently.

Add toppings of your choice.

Bean sprouts, mushrooms, bok choy, onion greens, cilantro, lime, green chilies.  

Add tofu, brocolli, or veggies of your choice.

Pour hot veggie broth over the veggies and noodles and serve.

Here is my homemade spicy chili or schezwan sauce

Add some spicy chili paste or sriracha.
Squeeze some lime juice.

Also click here for my homemade dumpling/momo recipe.

Enjoy this hot bowl of Phở!!

Crispy Noodles

When I invite my friends over for dinner, I love to host them with Indo-chinese food. There is so much delicious and creative variety to make, and is not very easily available at the restaurant. One of our favorites is tossing fresh crisp noodles with veggies and sweet and sour sauce. These crispy noodles are perfect as an appetizer as well as main coarse with fried rice.

Although fried noodles are readily available in the market, I like to make them fresh at home. They are thin and crispier compared to the one in the restaurant. You should give this recipe a try for your next event. It is easy to prepare the veggies in sauce before guests arrive and toss the crisp noodles just before serving. Potstickers, or steamed dumpling, or wonton soup pairs really well with crispy noodles for the soup and appetizer coarse. 

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 packet Ching's hakka noodles (or any noddles of your choice)

Oil for frying noodles

2 tbsp oil

1 cup sliced onions

1/2 cup sliced onion greens

1 tbsp. minced ginger

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup sliced bell pepper

1/2 cup julienne carrots

1/2 cup sliced green beans

1 cup shredded cabbage

1/2 cup bean sprouts

1/2 tsp. salt (if needed)

1 tbsp soy sauce 

1 tbsp chili garlic salt

1/4 cup tomato ketchup

• Using instructions on noodle packet, boil noodles. Drain water and pour cold water over cooked noodles to stop the cooking process.Let water drain out well.
• Heat oil and fry noodles in hot oil (be careful)in 3-4 batches. Do not put all the noodles in together as oil might overflow. Fry noodles till golden brown. Remove on a paper towel. Cool and store in an airtight container. Use whenever needed.

• Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a wok.
• Add ginger, garlic and onions and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add bell pepper, carrots and beans. Saute for 3-4 minutes till slightly cooked. 
• Add all sauces to sauteing veggies and mix well.
• Turn of the heat. Add shredded cabbage and mix well.
• Toss in crisp noodles. Mix well.
• Serve immediately garnished with onion greens and bean sprouts.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Using instructions on noodle packet, boil noodles. Drain water and pour cold water over cooked noodles to stop the cooking process.Let water drain out well.

Heat oil and fry noodles in hot oil in 3-4 batches. Do not put all the noodles in together as oil might overflow. Fry noodles till golden brown. Remove on a paper towel. Cool and store in an airtight container. Use whenever needed.

Heat oil in a wok.

Add ginger, garlic and onions and saute for 2 minutes.

Add bell pepper, carrots and beans. Saute for 3-4 minutes till slightly cooked. 

Add all sauces to sauteing veggies and mix well.

Turn of the heat. Add shredded cabbage and mix well.

Toss in crisp noodles. Mix well.

Serve immediately garnished with onion greens and bean sprouts.

 Enjoy Deliciously Crisp Noodles!!!

Spicy Edamame Noodles

I have realized eating a well balanced meal and exercising aids in weight loss. Yes, that works for me! Since the time I have added protein to my meals, I am feeling more fresh and energetic. Although I love my carb noodles, they makes me dull, lethargic, lazy, and top it all bloated and increases my weight. Few months back I tried these gluten free edamame noodles at my cousin's place. She mixed this pasta with pesto sauce and it just tasted amazing. After having a large bowl she revealed the secret. Yes, these are totally gluten free, and protein rich. I have used Garbanzo bean pasta and lentil and quinoa pasta before and now there is edamame noodles to enjoy! Happy me!!

With lots of veggies and protein rich noodles this dish was so delicious and healthy :) Believe me I enjoyed it so much and not a single ounce I put on :)

Ingredients: (serves 3-4 people)
1/4 cup each of julienne green beans, carrots, bell pepper, sliced mushrooms, shredded cabbage, sliced onions,
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2-3 tbsp. Schezwan sauce
2-3 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce (optional)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper powder (optional)
2 cups of boiled edamame noodles
Garnish with spring greens

• Boil handful of edamame noodles as per the box instructions and keep them aside.
• In a wok heat oil, add onions, ginger, garlic and saute for a minute.
• Add other veggies except cabbage and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. (I do not like mine over cooked and mushy)
• Add vinegar, soy sauce, schezwan sauce, salt, and pepper.
• Add shredded cabbage and boiled edamame noodles.
• Mix well and toss noodles and veggies well on high temperature.
• Garnish with spring greens and serve with schezwan sauce in the side.

 Here is step-step pictorial recipe:

Boil handful of edamame noodles as per the box instructions and keep them aside.

Since it was a big box, I just used noodles that would fit in a cup.

In a wok heat oil, add onions, ginger, garlic and saute for a minute.

Add other veggies except cabbage and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. (I do not like mine over cooked and mushy)

Add vinegar, so sauce, schezwan sauce, salt, and pepper.

Add cabbage and boiled edamame noodles.

Mix well and toss noodles and veggies well on high temperature.

Garnish with spring greens and serve with schezwan sauce in the side.

Yum Yum!!

Homemade Maggi Noodles

While we were growing up Mummy always made delicious hot homemade food. Homemade snacks and fresh food as we would come back from school. Then came the era of fast food... noodles, pasta, pizza, burger. And then came Instant food, our very popular and favorite 2 minute Maggi Noodles (which actually never cooked in 2 minutes :) ) These were nothing but Ramen Noodles with tastemaker spice mix made for Indian palate. Spicy Masala was so delicious. Just boil noodles and add taste maker pack and delicious noodles ready to eat. Some of you might remember Bisca cup noodles. Those were dehydrated noodle with veggies in a cup. Just by adding hot water into the cup, they would be ready to slurp. Of course, parents were never happy with instant noodles. All purpose flour noodles and taste maker with ingredients that could not be pronounced. According to my mom these noodles made of all purpose flour were totally unhealthy and would stick in our stomach. That was her way of explaining us the concept of constipation.  The tastemaker according to my mom was another filthy powder made with chemicals. "Fast to cook, Good to eat" was not close to true. But it pleased lot of children. The ad was very interesting and colorful with kids playing in a big yard. As the kids came home hungry their mom would open a cabinet full of packets of Maggi and make these quick 2 minute noodles with veggies :) I don't think Indian moms in those days would stack so much instant food. But, they are indeed super delicious and addictive!! 

Click here for more maggi ads to enjoy.

With recent of controversy regarding Maggi Noodles having higher content of harmful chemicals, Maggi Noodle supply and sale have been banned globally. It has been an eye opener for everyone. But, the taste is so delicious, there was a need for me to come up with the recipe to make homemade Maggi Noodles and the tastemaker Masala using ingredients without harmful chemicals, preservatives or additives. 

Lot of thought and effort went into coming up with the recipe. I checked the ingredient list at the back of the pack. Used my knowledge of ingredients and proportion, created this recipe which is solely mine. Lot of wastage of ingredients, messy kitchen, and the amount of time and effort are all worth this homemade recipe. A humble request to everyone and food bloggers: if you make these at home, (using the same ingredients or by tweaking them), please give proper credit by adding my post link.

Since these are homemade, there would definitely be slight difference in the type of noodles and spicy masala. But we are assured that what we give our family is delicious and safe. Also the type of ingredients you use at home can give a different taste. You might have to adjust your ingredients according to your taste.

Here is the original Maggi Noodles & Spicy Masala

Ingredients 

To make Maggi Noodles

1 cup all purpose flour or maida

1 tbsp. vital wheat gluten (optional)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. oil

Water 

To make spicy masala taste maker

2 tbsp. dry onion powder or dry minced onions

1 tbsp. dry garlic powder or dry minced garlic

1/2 tbsp. red chilli powder (or according to your taste)

1/2 tbsp garam masala powder

1/8 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp. citric acid granules

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. oil

To make Noodles:

• Mix flour, wheat gluten (optional), salt, baking soda, oil in a bowl. Use vital wheat gluten that is available in an grocery store. Wheat gluten helps in making the noodles elastic and long without breaking them. If using whole wheat flour, adding wheat gluten is very important. Add little water at a time a make a stiff dough. Dough should be stiff. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes to develop gluten and make the dough elastic. Cover and let the dough aside for 20 minutes.
• Use a pasta maker with thin noodle attachment to extrude thin noodles. Use dry flour to avoid noodles from sticking to each other. If you dough is not stiff and hard, the noodles will tend to stick and clump up to one another. I use my Kitchen-aid pasta maker attachment with the mixer to make long noodles. It is very simple. You would use the noodles immediately or let them dry.
• If you do not have a pasta maker, use traditional Indian Sev press. Sev press has a disc with tiny hole to spin long noodles. Since this is manual, it takes lot of efforts to press the dough into noodles. It would be ideal if someone could help you hold the press while you could press the dough. Use dry flour to avoid noodles from clumping up and sticking to each other. You would use the noodles immediately or let them dry.

To make spicy masala mix:

• Mix all the ingredients except oil in a bowl. Heat oil in a pan. Add all dry ingredients and mix well for a minute. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool. Grind to form a fine powder. TIP: If you do not want to use citric acid granules, you could use 1 tbsp. lime juice after the noodles have been cooked in water.  

To make Maggi:

• Use 3 cups of water to boil all noodles made from this recipe. 
• Boil water. Cook veggies of your choice.
• Add noodles to boiling water. Cook for 3-4 minutes. 
• Add tastemaker spicy masala.
• Cook till water evaporates and maggi thickens as per your consistency. Do not overcook noodles. they may get lumpy. Remember cooking process continues even after you turn off the heat. 
• Serve in a bowl and enjoy not "2 Minute Noodles".

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Mix flour, wheat gluten (optional), salt, baking soda, oil in a bowl. Use vital wheat gluten that is available in an grocery store. Wheat gluten helps in making the noodles elastic and long without breaking them. If using whole wheat flour, adding wheat gluten is very important. Add little water at a time a make a stiff dough. Dough should be stiff. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes to develop gluten and make the dough elastic. Cover and let the dough aside for 20 minutes.

If you do not have a pasta maker, use traditional Indian Sev press. Sev press has a disc with tiny hole to spin long noodles. Since this is manual, it takes lot of efforts to press the dough into noodles. Use dry flour to avoid noodles from clumping up and sticking to each other. It would be ideal if someone could help you hold the press while you could press the dough.

Use a pasta maker with thin noodle attachment to extrude thin noodles. Use dry flour to avoid noodles from sticking to each other. If you dough is not stiff and hard, the noodles will tend to stick and clump up to one another. I use my Kitchen-aid pasta maker attachment with the mixer to make long noodles. It is very simple. You would use the noodles immediately or let they dry.

To make spicy masala:

Mix all the ingredients except oil in a bowl. Heat oil in a pan. Add all dry ingredients and mix well for a minute. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool. Grind to form a fine powder. TIP: If you do not want to use citric acid granules, you could use 1 tbsp. lime juice after the noodles have been cooked in water.  

Onion and garlic powder can be found at a grocery store in spice aisle. I bought these from Sprouts market. They are dehydrated and have wonderful concentrated flavor.

To make Maggi:

Use 3 cups of water to boil all noodles made from this recipe. 

Boil water. Cook veggies of your choice.

Add noodles to boiling water. Cook for 3-4 minutes. 

Add tastemaker spicy masala.

Cook till water evaporates and maggi thickens as per your consistency. Do not overcook noodles. they may get lumpy. Remember cooking process continue even after you turn off the heat. 

Serve in a bowl and enjoy not "2 Minute Noodles"

 Enjoy Maggi Noodles!