Try one of these 12 Indo-Chinese Recipes with Big Flavor tonight. The tastes of India and China come together in a world-famous fusion cuisine that’s big on flavor and color.
These Indo-Chinese recipes are vegetarian, easy to prepare and make perfect appetizers or side dishes on weeknights and for special occasions.
You must try my famous Chilli Paneer and Hakka Noodles combo! I always advocate for doubling up on my Vegetable Manchurian, too.
Indo Chinese food around the world
Indo-Chinese food, also known as Desi Chinese or Indian Chinese is a cuisine from the Chinese community of Kolkata, West Bengal.
While Indo-Chinese is an integral part of India’s culinary scene, it’s also made its way around the world and is loved among Indian communities outside of India too.
It’s a popular street food choice, as well as a restaurant favourite.
Indeed, many Indian restaurants today even have separate menus for their Indo-Chinese dishes.
Items for stocking your Indo-Chinese pantry
Dried red chillies
Go as hot or as mild you like by switching up chilli varieties and quantities.
Aromatics and spices
Ginger, garlic, spring onions, chilli powder, white pepper.
Condiments and other seasonings
Tomato paste, vegetable stock, sugar, Shaoxing wine, chinkiang vinegar (or any rice wine vinegar), vegetarian oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, MSG, mirin, sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil (used as a seasoning, not a cooking fat).
Oils and flours
Cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with cold water to create a slurry. Add this in and mix well to thicken the sauce once it comes to a boil. Cornflour is also required to make a light and crispy batter.
Are you ready to get into the recipes? These simple Indo-Chinese meals will breathe life into your everyday cooking. Let’s go, friends!
12 Indo-Chinese Recipes with Big Flavor
12 Indo-Chinese Recipes with Big Flavor
Try one of these delicious Indo-Chinese recipes tonight. The flavours of India and China come together in a blended fusion cuisine that's big on flavor. These Indo-Chinese recipes are vegetarian, easy and make perfect appetizers or side dishes on weeknights and for special occasions. You must try my famous Chilli Paneer and Hakka Noodles combo!
Crispy paneer cubes wok-fried in a chilli and garlic sauce with crunchy peppers and onions. A real Indo-Chinese crowd pleaser and Indian restaurant favourite. This dish is perfect as an appetizer, or as part of a larger meal with rice or noodles.
Crispy Chilli Oil Aubergine is a fragrant chilli crisp stir fry with tempura aubergines and homemade chilli oil. This Indo-Chinese dish is a flavour explosion, so serve it with plain, steamed Jasmine rice or noodles. It’s delicious as a starter, main or alongside other dishes.
Flavour bomb incoming! For the ultimate Vegetable Manchurian, I toss crispy vegetable dumplings in a hot and garlicky Indo-Chinese sauce. It’s fiery, loaded with flavour and gives your favourite Asian restaurant a run for its’ money.
I couldn’t be more excited to share my little creation of Vegan Air Fryer Sesame Mogo Toasts with you. A lighter, vegan take Chinese restaurant favourite, sesame prawn toast using spiced cassava (mogo) to replace the shrimp.
American Chinese takeout favourite General Tso’s Chicken gets a vegetarian makeover with this Desi Chinese-inspired fresh stir-fry dish, General Tso’s Paneer. Crisp-coated creamy paneer nuggets tossed in a sticky spicy, sweet and sour sauce.
Hakka Noodles are an any time, any place noodle affair. This vegetarian version makes for a delicious lunch or dinner. Serve them with other Indo-Chinese favourites such as Chilli Paneer or Gobi Manchurian, or simply as they are. These Vegetarian Hakka Noodles are the ultimate quick meal.
I first fell in love with the spongy, cloud-like morsels that are Taiwanese folded buns when I sampled them from popular London street vendors, Yum Bun. After hearing all the Momofuku hype, these little burger-like buns had finally reached the streets of Britain. My first folded bun was filled with juicy Portabello mushrooms and crunchy, miso-glazed walnuts and they stirred one question in me. Gua Bao, where have you been all my life?!
One of my favourite weeknight dinners is Chilli-Garlic Tofu Noodle Bowls. Stir-fried tofu with colourful veggies, noodles and heaps of chilli. My special touch to these is to add crispy okra strips and fried Thai basil leaves. They add the most beautiful crunch and are a delicious way of getting your okra fix as part of a dish that’s not curry.
Gujarati rice dumplings dusted in cornflour and fried until crispy on the outside. Right before serving they are tossed in an intense sticky chilli sauce with lots of veg. Don’t be put off by the amount of ginger, chillies and garlic – it’s a lot but necessary to stand up to the somewhat plain rice flour khichi. It’s a delicious starter and a new, creative take on a Gujarati classic. My recipe for Sticky, Crispy Chilli Khichi serves six hungry people.
Fresh beancurd sheets stir-fried with onions, peppers, fresh basil and a sweet and sour chilli sauce. “Yuba” or tofu skin (also bean curd skin or bean curd sheet) is a form of protein made from soy beans. Soy milk, to be precise. During the boiling process, a skin forms on top of the soy milk. It is made up of protein and fats in the milk, similar to the kind that forms on top of dairy milk.
Try this recipe for Indo-Chinese Crispy Chilli Pumpkin tonight! Make the most of sweet, seasonal squash with this celebration of Indo-Chinese flavours. Be warned; This gets more and more addictive with each bite. It’s no secret that I’m a Chilli Paneer fiend. It’s probably one of the most iconic Indo-Chinese dishes, alongside the likes of Hakka Noodles and Vegetable Manchurian.