Monica Bhide When Indian spices team with Chinese fare, the `tangy fusion’ causes culinary sparks to fly
Chicken Manchurian, Hakka noodles, American chop suey, lollipop chicken, chili chicken dry/gravy.
Do these dishes sound unusual?
The intriguing combination of Indian spices and ingredients such as garam masala (warm spice mix), cilantro and tamarind in combination with Chinese soy sauce, ginger, garlic and even ketchup offers even more food for thought.
These dishes belong to a cuisine popularly known as "Indian Chinese," a blending of Chinese cooking styles and Indian tastes. For years Indian Chinese has been included in many restaurant menus in India and is popular at roadside eateries as well. Unlike the Chinese cuisine served in traditional Chinese restaurants, this style has a strong bias towards spicier, more pronounced flavors.
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