This is one wholesome soup. You can have fried noodles with it and give the Manchow twist or you can even have steamed noodles/pasta with it making it a warm filling dinner option instead of just being a soup. Every single time we used to visit a Chinese restaurant in India this was our most favourite soup and we used to always have it.

And if you see the recipe it is the most simple thing on earth to make and yet the most tasty!

Ingredients:

– 50 gm prawns or shrimps

– 50 gm Mackerel fish or any fish you prefer.

– 1-2 carrots

– 8-9 button mushrooms

– 4-5 cauliflower florets

– 1 small onion

– 2 tbsp of celery greens

– 4-5 garlic cloves

– 1/2 inch ginger

– 2 tbsp white vinegar

– 4 tbsp soya sauce

– salt to taste

– black pepper to taste

– 2 tbsp cornflour

– 1 egg white

– water as needed

– oil

– plain noodles or pasta as needed

Recipe ( total time taken 20 minutes):

1. Boil noodles or pasta in water as per the packet instructions. Once the noodles/pasta are cooked drain the water and store the starchy water for later use.

Rinse the noodles/pasta under cold water and add few drops of olive oil and keep them aside to cool. If you want to go for fried noodles then take the cooked noodles and spread it evenly over a plate. Add 1 tbsp of cornflour and spread it over the noodles using your hands. Add more cornflour if the quantity of noodles is high and the cornflour doesn’t seem to cover all the noodles. Let the noodles dry completely on the plate for about half an hr or so.

2. Now take a saucepan and add 1tbsp oil. You can use sesame oil for additional flavour. Once the oil is hot add the garlic and ginger chopped to tiny pieces. After a minute add the onions and fry for a minute. Then add all the veggies that is carrots, mushrooms and cauliflower. The veggies can be cut in small pieces or bite sized basis your preference.

3. Now add 1 cup of water and add the starchy water of the pasta/noodles that was kept aside. Based on the amount of water already in the saucepan you can add one additional cup of water if you feel the need to. Give everything a good stir.

4. Now add the prawns or shrimps. Remove the bones thoroughly from the fish and add them. Give a good stir. Check if you need to add more water to the soup.

5. Add the vinegar, soya sauce, salt and black pepper. Stir well and taste. Add more of anything whose flavour you feel is missing.

6. Add the celery greens and cover the saucepan. Let everything cook and simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes check if the veggies are cooked.

7. Check for the consistency of the soup. Since starch water of the noodles/pasta was used the soup should already be of the desired consistency. However if you feel that you need a thicker consistency then prepare cornflour slurry and add to the soup. Simmer for another 7-10 minutes.

8. Add the egg white and stir immediately such that the egg whites distribute all over the soup forming thin white threads while they cook.

9. Serve the soup over some steamed noodles or pasta in a bowl.

Or for fried noodles take a non-stick pan and add about 5-6 tbsp oil. Add the noodles in one single thick layer and shallow fry over low-medium flame for about 5-7 minutes. Lift a bit with the help of a spoon and check if the bottom side has browned. Remove the single layered heap of noodles on to a plate using a ladle and put it in the pan turning the noodles to the other side. Shallow fry till the other side also browns and the noodles are crispy.

Enjoy your warm and filling sea food Manchow Soup 😊.

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