O.K. folks, it's chop time now - Chinese cuisine made easy. Actually, the chopping part is far from easy!O.K. now it's down to brass tacks. The following portions are for one person. For bigger portions increase ingredients proportionally.

VEGETABLE FRIED RICE:

Ingredients: 
1 cup rice; 50 gms French Beans; 50 gms carrots; 50 gms. Capsicums, 50 gms green onions; a few green peas (optional); 1-2 tsps Soya sauce; pinch sodium monoglutamate.
Method:
Soak rice for an hour and boil. Drain. Chop all the vegetables very finely and stir-fry in 1-2 tablespoonfuls of oil. Add to rice. Stir in Soya sauce and serve. For non-vegetarian fried rice, add cooked shredded chicken, or prawns and .ham For egg fried rice add chopped previously made omelette.

MANCHURIAN DISHES:
The sauce is common for both the dishes: 

Ingredients: 
2 tablespoonfuls soya sauce (preferably dark); 3 big cloves garlic chopped; 2 cups water; oil for frying.

Method:
Fry the chopped garlic till golden brown. Mix soya sauce and water in a bowl. Add 1-teaspoon cornflour and mix. Add to frying garlic and stir till smooth. Add a pinch of ajinomoto. If needed add just a little salt as soya sauce contains enough salt. 

For chicken manchurian: 100-150 gms boneless chicken chopped into bite sized chunks; 1 egg,; cornflour sufficient to make a stiff batter. Combine egg and cornflour to make a batter. Add a little water if too thick. Dip each chicken chunk in the batter and deep fry till golden brown. Drain the chunks and add to the manchurian sauce.

For vegetable Manchurian:
100 gms grated cabbage; 100gms grated cabbage; cornflour to bind. Combine the grated cabbage and carrots and add cornflour to bind the mixture. Take small portions and roll them into balls. Deep fry them and add to the Manchurian sauce. If needed add a little salt to the vegetable mixture. I also add a little garam masala powder to it to give it a little flavour (Indo-Chinese cuisine?). 

CHOP SUEY (a la ASFAN):
Ingredients: 
100 gms cabbage, shredded; 100 gms carrots, julienned; 100 gms onions, thinly sliced; 100 gms capsicums, julienned; egg noodles as per requirement; 3 tablespoonfuls tomato puree; 2 teaspoonfuls sugar; 1 tablespoonful vinegar; oil for frying; pinch sodium monoglutamate; salt as per requirement.

FOR THE SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:
In a pan combine tomato puree, 1-cup water, sugar, vinegar and boil. Add cornflour to thicken. Doesn't take long to make.

VEGETABLES:
Heat oil in a wok (or kadhai) and stir-fry the vegetables till done.

NOODLES:
Boil the noodles in water till done. Drain and pour cold water over them to prevent them sticking. I use boiled noodles (to save calories). Otherwise, fry the boiled noodles till crisp. Place the noodles in a flat dish and cover with the prepared vegetables and pour the sweet and sour sauce over it. For non-vegetarian chop suey add cooked shredded chicken.
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