American Chop Suey Recipe

American chopsuey recipe with step by step pics. One of the most popular fusion Chinese recipe that is made in India is American veg chopsuey. This crispy crunchy snack is popular with both kids and adults alike. Try my veg American chopsuey recipe today — you’re sure to love it!

Veg American chopsuey is offered on the menu of most Chinese restaurants and street food stalls in India. This recipe gives you one of the best tasting veg chopsuey.

I had got some requests to share this recipe. Veg chop suey noodles can be made both with boiled noodles and Fried crispy noodles.

In this recipe I have shared the method of making with fried noodles. Basically you can compare veg chopsuey noodles to mix veg fried crispy noodles with a sauce. The sauce is tangy, sweet, spiced and oh tastes so good with the crisp fried noodles and the crunchy mix veggies.

This dish is not a very healthy dish apart from the mix vegetables in it. So once in a while if you make then its fine when the kids ask for it. A similar recipe that is liked by kids is Chinese bhel.

Some preparation work is required while making veg chopsuey. The noodles have to be boiled and then fried. Usually I fry the noodles a day earlier and keep them stored in an air-tight container. Then the next day I just need to prep the veggies, stir fry and make the sauce. So things become easier.

I have previously shared a detailed post on making crispy fried noodles. You can check the recipe here – How to make fried noodles.

To make veg American chopsuey recipe

• The sauces I have used are soy sauce (naturally fermented), sweet red chilli sauce and homemade tomato ketchup. Instead of sweet chilli sauce you can even use sriracha sauce and it tastes equally good and a bit spicy as I have made chopsuey before with sriracha sauce. In fact you can use a combination of your favorite sauces. For a spicy taste add green chilli sauce or red chilli sauce.
• You can add veggies of your choice. Veggies that can be added are cabbage, carrots, baby corn, capsicum (bell pepper), button mushrooms, sweet corn, french beans, snap peas, broccoli. You can also add some sprouts and tofu if you want.
• Noodles – Use either hakka noodles, instant noodles or whole wheat noodles depending on preference and availability.
• Sesame Oil – I love the savory richness of sesame oil, but you can also swap in peanut oil or sunflower oil if needed.

Serve veg American chop suey as soon as you assemble it.

How to make American Chop Suey

A) boiling noodles for chopsuey

1. Heat 4 cups water in a sauce pan on a medium to high heat.

2. Add ½ teaspoon salt.

3. Also add ¼ teaspoon oil to the water.

4. Let the water come to a rolling boil.

5. Then lower the heat and add 150 grams of noodles. You can use instant, whole wheat, hakka noodles or all purpose flour noodles. With a fork or a spoon press the noodles in the boiling water.

6. Cook noodles on a medium heat till they become al dente.

7. Check and taste a few noodle strands and they should have a slight bite to them. They should not be completely cooked.

8. Strain the noodles in a colander.

9. Then rinse the cooked noodles very well with fresh water. Use a spoon or fork to stir when rinsing noodles.

10. When the noodles become warm or cool down, then you can use hands and lightly stir when rinsing with fresh water. Drain all the water very well.

11. Remove the noodles in a large plate or tray. Spread them evenly. Let noodles cool at room temperature for 1.5 to 2 hours. Later after 1.5 to 2 hours you can begin to deep fry them.

12. Before frying add 2.5 tablespoons corn flour (corn starch) on the noodles.

13. Mix very well so that the corn flour (corn starch) coats the noodles well. You can use a pasta or noodle tong to mix. If you use your hands, then the fingertips become sticky with the corn flour.

Frying noodles for chop suey recipe

14. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or a pan. Add a few strands of the noodles and if they come up steadily and gradually then you can begin to fry them.

If they settle down at the bottom, the oil needs to get hot. If they come up too quickly then the oil is very hot, so the heat needs to be reduced.

15. Add noodles in batches.

16. As soon as you add noodles, then with a slotted spoon separate them.

17. Fry till the base become light golden and crisp.

18. Then turn over and fry the second side till crisp and light golden.

19. Turn over a couple of times and fry till the noodles become golden.

20. Remove fried noodles with a slotted spoon draining excess oil in the kadai or pan.

21. Place fried noodles on kitchen paper towels so that extra oil is absorbed. Once cooled, then place the crispy fried noodles in an air-tight container.

Preparation to make American chopsuey sauce

22. Shred or finely chop the veggies. You can use a food processor or chop the veggies with a knife.

• You will need the following veggies:
• ½ cup shredded cabbage
• ½ cup shredded carrot
• ⅓ cup thinly sliced capsicum
• ¼ cup chopped spring onions
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic

23. In a small bowl, take 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce (I have used naturally fermented soy sauce) and ½ tablespoon sweet red chilli sauce or sriracha sauce.

24. Stir and mix the three sauces very well with a spoon.

25. In another small bowl take 2 tablespoons of corn flour (corn starch) and 2 tablespoons of water.

26. Mix very well.

Making American chop suey sauce

27. Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a wok or kadai or a pan. You can also use peanut oil or sunflower oil. Keep the flame to low to medium. Add ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger and ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic.

28. Saute for some seconds till the raw aroma of both ginger and garlic goes away.

29. Now add ¼ cup chopped spring onions. You can use onions instead of spring onions.

31. Mix well.

32. Increase the heat to medium or high and stir fry onions for a minute.

33. Now add the shredded veggies.

34. Mix very well.

35. Begin to stir fry on medium to high heat.

36. Stir fry for 5 to 5 minutes till the edges of the veggies become golden.

37. Now reduce the flame and add the sauces.

38. Mix very well with the stir fried veggies.

39. Add 1.5 to 1.75 cups of water. Stir and mix well.

40. Stir the corn flour paste (as the corn flour settles down) and then add slowly in a stream in the pan.

41. As soon as you add corn flour paste, quickly stir so that lumps are not formed. In case lumps do form, then use a wired whisk and stir the gravy (sauce).

42. Season with salt as per taste. Add less salt as the sauces already have salt in them.

43. Add ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder or crushed black pepper. Mix very well.

44. Simmer on a low to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes till the sauce thicken. Check the taste and the corn flour’s raw taste should not be there.

45. Now add 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. You can also add lemon juice in place of vinegar. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

46. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of sugar. You can add less or more sugar as required. Check the taste before adding sugar and if required then only add sugar. Mix very well.

47. Switch off the heat and now add 2 tablespoons of spring onion greens.

48. Mix well. The chop suey sauce is ready to be served. Check the final taste and add salt, sugar, black pepper, soy sauce or any of the sauces if required.

Making veg American chopsuey

49. Now break the fried noodles and take them in 2 to 3 serving plates or bowls. I usually break the fried noodles. You can even keep them as one whole lot of fried noodles. If you are using store brought fried noodles, then use 2.5 cups.

50. Top the crispy noodles with the sauce as required.

51. Garnish with a few spring onion greens. You can even garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.

52. Serve veg American chopsuey immediately. 

If you or your family likes recipes made with noodles, then I would suggest checking the following recipes:

• Veg noodles – an Indo Chinese stir fried preparation of vegetable noodles
• Hakka noodles – an Indo Chinese preparation with hakka noodles and mix vegetables.
• Chow mein – smooth velvety noodles with crunch from the veggies.
• Schezwan noodles – spicy and tasty stir fried vegetable noodles with schezwan sauce.
• Chilli garlic noodles – easy to prepare spiced Chinese chilli garlic noodles recipe.

This Veg American Chopsuey post from the archives, originally published in November 2017 has been updated and republished on January 2023.