Here’s a brand I’ve been hoping to review for a while but have had a seriously hard time finding. Ching’s Secret is a company from India that produces Chinese inspired foods. This flavor is a little puzzling though – Manchurian? What flavor is that? I consulted Wikipedia and got some information:
Indian Chinese cuisine is the adaptation of Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques to Indian tastes. The Indian Chinese cuisine is said to have been developed by the small Chinese community that has lived in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) for over a century. Today, the Chinese food has become an integral part of the Indian culinary scene.[1] It is also enjoyed by Indian and Chinese communities in Malaysia, Singapore and North America.
Aha – so this is much like Nyonya food in Malaysia – Chinese foods strongly influenced by Malay flavors. Interesting!
The cuisine is believed to have originated from the Chinese of Calcutta and Chinese food is still popular there. At present, the Chinese population in Calcutta stands at approximately 2,000.[2] Most of these people are of Hakka origin; however, the dishes of modern Indian Chinese cuisine, such as Chicken Manchurian, bear little resemblance to traditional Chinese cuisine.[3]
This is interesting too; maybe this is to have the flavors of Chicken Manchurian? Also, the Hakka reference – I’ve had Hakka varieties from Taiwan before, but the noodles didn’t look like this at all. Well, let’s have a look inside!
Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil 225ml water. Break noodle block into 4 pieces, add contents of seasoning sachet and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!
The noodle block.
The seasoning base sachet.
Has a kind of salty lemon scent.
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added chicken, sweet onion, coriander, sliced carrot, sliced green onion and broccoli that I sauteed. The noodles are of a standard gauge and have a nice texture to them. They sucked up all of the liquid in 2 1/2 minutes. The flavor is very strong – very India and very spicy. I was honestly quite surprised at how spicy this stuff is. It’s got this masala hit to it as well as a saltiness too. I liked it. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8901595963317.
Want to try this one? Get it here!
Here is a video by Ching’s Secret showing you how to make their Manchurian instant noodles.
