American chopsuey

Tintorera is an American website that focuses on sharing news about the food and culture of USA. We like to travel around the country, eat different foods, and learn about the people and places surrounding us. We also bring you the most interesting facts, photos and videos about our food culture.

For the past ten years, a growing number of Americans have been turning to an unlikely source for food: the gym. In the past, Americans have relied on fast food chains, but in recent years, more and more of us have been going to the local gym, hoping that its stock of fresh, healthy food will help us get in shape and stay there.

I was in Lithuania visiting my family, when I went to a restaurant that had a very interesting menu. It was a place where I had not been before, but one that my Lithuanian family members knew of. I had never seen these types of dishes on the menu before, and the first time I tried them I was shocked. The restaurant’s name was “Tintorera”, and the dishes were a combination of American and Lithuanian cooking. The waitress that took my order looked at me funny when I said I’d like a few of these unusual items, but she brought them out anyway.

American chopsuey is a popular and widely accessible dish in Indian Chinese restaurants. As a popular Indo-Chinese meal, the mix of crispy noodles, crunchy veggies, and meat with sauce and egg is extremely delicious and appealing. The sour and sweet sauce for the crunchy noodles works nicely with our crunchy veggies and crunchy noodles.

American chopsuey is not a genuine Chinese meal, but rather an American dish (western side) that has been adapted to suit the tastes of Chinese restaurateurs. Similarly, I believe our Indian restaurateurs altered the dish to suit Indian tastes by adding crispy noodles and a fried egg, but there is no proof or information to back this up. My only knowledge is that a traditional American chop suey comprises of macaroni and beef with veggies in a tomato-based sauce. Chop suey is a quick-cooking meal that mixes veggies, any meat, and an egg with a rich sauce. Other than Indo-Chinese eateries in India, I’ve never seen or eaten American chopsuey.

In India, each Indo-Chinese restaurant serves it differently, such as crispy noodles mixed with sauce, meat, vegetables, and a fried egg or crispy egg on top, or crispy noodles beneath and sauce beneath the noodles mixed with vegetables and any meat, with crispy noodles beneath and sauce beneath the noodles mixed with vegetables and any meat.

Vegetarians may substitute soya chunks or paneer for the meat (cottage cheese).

I made the American chop suey according to my preferences and the way Indo-Chinese restaurants serve it, such as cooking the sauce with meat and vegetables and serving with crispy noodles, or cooking the sauce separately from the meat and vegetables to achieve a crunchy texture, as in the vegetarian American chop suey.

Ingredients

• • 2 tbsp. oil
  • 75 gms or more of chicken
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 onion (small, sliced)
  • 1 green chilli, sliced
  • 2 spring onions, chopped
  • 3 florets cauliflower (sliced)
  • 1/4 cup cabbage (sliced)
  • 2 medium mushrooms
  • 1 carrot (small)
  • 1/4 of each capsicum (red and green)
  • 1 Knorr brand chicken stock cube
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1/2 cup tomato ketchup
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chinese salt (optional MSG)
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
  • 50 ml water + 1 tsp corn flour + corn starch
  • 1/3 cup boiled noodles (optional)

Noodles that are crisp

• Ramen or Maggi noodles – a weight of 85 gms
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1 egg (fried)

Method

There are three stages to making American chop suey.

1. Noodles that are crisp with oil

2. Making the sauce with meat and veggies

3. Toss together all of the noodles, sauce, and a fried egg on top.

• • All of the vegetables should be cut into one form, such as long slices, carrots sliced long, cabbage shredded, cauliflower, and other vegetables chopped into juliennes.
  • I added the veggies to suit my taste and amount; you may add any vegetables to suit your preferences.
  • Cut the chicken into tiny pieces or slice it.

Crispy noodles

• • Boil the noodles (maggi or ramen) for 1 to 2 minutes in boiling water, drain, and set aside to dry.
  • Mix in some corn flour, spread it out on a tissue paper or a plate, and set it aside.
  • When the oil is heated, put all of the noodles in batches on top of the noodles for deep frying; it will take 5 to 7 minutes or until crispy, turning halfway through.
  • After cooking the noodles, set aside for 2 to 3 days or store in an airtight container.

Sauce

• • In a larger pan, heat the oil, then add the chicken pieces and cook for a few minutes, until nearly done.
  • Except for the capsicum and green portion of the spring onion, add garlic, ginger, green chilies, msg, and the rest of the veggies.
  • On a high heat, sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, then reduce to medium.
  • Mix in the chicken cubes, tomato ketchup, chili garlic sauce, dark soya sauce, vinegar, sugar, and water, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on medium, then reduce to a low heat for 2 minutes.
  • Allow to boil for 2 minutes after adding cornstarch (mix water and corn flour together) and capsicum, white pepper powder.
  • The sauce will have a thick texture and a brilliant color.
  • Finally, add the boiling noodles and spring onion, stir well, and turn off the heat. Set aside.
  • In a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the egg and cook just one side, seasoning with salt and pepper (black or white).

Putting together American chopsuey

• Place the fried noodles on a platter.
• Over the noodles, pour the sauce with the veggies and chicken.
• Serve hot and right away with an egg on top.

Notes

• You may cut the veggies into any shape or size that you like.
• You may substitute shrimp for chicken, and vegans can use soya chunks or paneer (Cottage cheese).
• The chicken, veggies, and sauce may all be prepared separately. It imparts a more crispy flavor.
• Rice noodles may be used to make the crispy noodle, which will instantly expand and have a distinctive texture when deep fried. I discovered noodles at the store that were comparable to Maggi noodles, which you may use.
• The sauce may be made without the cooked noodles. I used it since I had leftover noodles from another dish I was preparing.

There are so many types of food in the world that it’s hard to know where to begin. But if you’re looking for a decent place to start, perhaps the classic American meal is the choice. A classic American meal takes a lot more than just potatoes, and a simple salad doesn’t cut it. No, America’s favorite meal has many more parts than that.. Read more about portuguese american chop suey and let us know what you think.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between American chop suey and Chinese Chopsuey?

American chop suey is a dish made with ground beef, onion, green bell pepper, and tomato sauce. Chinese Chopsuey is made with pork and shrimp.

Why is it called American chop suey?

The dish is named after the American Chinese restaurant chain, Chop Suey.

Is goulash American chop suey?

No. Goulash is a traditional Hungarian dish, while American chop suey is a Chinese dish.

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Alma Bax

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