SoupsShish BarakChicken Manchow Soup
Loaded Indo-Chinese chicken soup topped with crispy fried noodles.
Prep Time:15 minutes
Total Time:35 minutes
Servings:4
Allergen warning
This recipe contains: Gluten, Soy. If you have a food allergy, check every ingredient label before cooking.
On this page
The "Manchow" in this soup refers to Manchuria, the historic region in northeastern China, and the dish itself belongs to Indo-Chinese cuisine. That cuisine grew out of Hakka Chinese immigrant kitchens in Kolkata during the early twentieth century. Chinese cooking techniques met Indian spices there, and a new flavour language was born. Chicken manchow soup is one of its most recognisable creations. It is dark, garlicky, and loaded with finely chopped vegetables. A cornflour slurry gives it body. A heap of crispy fried noodles goes on top at the very end. It is served in restaurants from Lahore to Delhi as a warming winter starter. This recipe recreates the restaurant version at home in about 35 minutes. Keep reading for the full method and tips.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 215 | 21 g | 17 g | 9 g |
Estimated values per serving. See the Nutrition section below for details.
🧂 Ingredients
For the fried noodles
- 100 grams plain boiled noodles
- 500 millilitres oil for deep frying
For the soup
- 250 grams boneless chicken breast, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce for the marinade
- 1 tablespoon cornflour for the marinade
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 75 grams cabbage, finely chopped
- 60 grams carrot, finely chopped
- 60 grams capsicum, finely chopped
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon red chilli sauce
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, adjusted to taste
- 2 tablespoons cornflour mixed with 60 millilitres water
Method
Step 1
Heat the 500 millilitres of oil to 180 degrees Celsius. Deep fry the boiled noodles in two batches for 2 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Step 2
Marinate the chopped chicken with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornflour. Rest for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep pan or wok over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and green chilies. Stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Step 4
Add the marinated chicken. Stir fry for 3 minutes until it turns white and cooks through.
Step 5
Add the cabbage, carrot, capsicum, and the white parts of the spring onions. Toss on high heat for 2 minutes. Keep the vegetables slightly crunchy.
Step 6
Pour in the chicken stock. Bring the soup to a rolling boil.
Step 7
Add the soy sauce, red chilli sauce, vinegar, black pepper, and salt. Boil for 2 minutes.
Step 8
Stir the cornflour and water slurry once more. Pour it slowly into the boiling soup while stirring continuously.
Step 9
Simmer for 2 minutes until the soup turns glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.
Step 10
Ladle into 4 bowls. Top each bowl with a generous heap of crispy fried noodles and the green parts of the spring onions. Serve piping hot.
Pro Tips
> Keep the stock at a rolling boil when you pour the slurry. Lukewarm soup never thickens properly. The cornflour needs full heat to activate.
- Chop every vegetable very fine. Small pieces cook evenly and release flavour into the broth.
- Keep the heat high when tossing the vegetables. High heat keeps them crisp instead of soggy.
- Add the vinegar at the very end. Late addition keeps its sharp flavour fresh.
- Pour the cornflour slurry in a thin stream. Constant stirring prevents lumps.
- Fry the noodles just before serving. They lose their crunch within 20 minutes.
- Warm the stock before adding it. Cold stock makes the vegetables soggy.
- Dissolve the cornflour fully in cold water first. Stir for 20 seconds until no white streaks remain.
- Taste the seasoning after the soup thickens. Cornflour dulls salt and soy.
Nutrition
One bowl provides an estimated 215 calories, 21 grams of protein, 17 grams of carbohydrates, and 9 grams of fat. These values use the Atwater system, which assigns 4 calories per gram of protein, 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate, and 9 calories per gram of fat. They cover the chicken, vegetables, stock, cornflour, and the fried noodle topping.
Chicken breast supplies about 31 grams of protein per 100 grams according to USDA FoodData Central. That makes this soup a high-protein starter at about 21 grams per bowl. One bowl covers roughly a tenth of the 2000 to 2500 calories an adult needs per day according to the World Health Organization.
Note
This soup stays light because most of the frying oil stays in the pan. The flavour comes from garlic, soy, and vinegar, not from fat.
Troubleshooting
The soup tastes flat. Add 1 teaspoon of salt first, then 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Cornflour dulls seasoning, so taste again after thickening.
The vegetables turn soggy. The wok was not hot enough, or you cooked them too long. Toss for 2 minutes on high heat only. They should still crunch when the stock goes in.
FAQs
Can I make a vegetarian version of this soup?
Yes, you can replace the chicken with 250 grams of finely chopped mushrooms. Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. The garlic, soy, and vinegar base carries the same Indo-Chinese flavour.
Can I skip the fried noodle topping?
Yes, you can serve the soup without the noodle topping. The crispy noodles are the signature finishing touch, so the soup loses its manchow identity without them. Boiled rice works as an alternative.
How do I store leftover soup?
Yes, you can refrigerate leftovers for 2 days in a sealed container. Reheat gently on the stove. Store the fried noodles separately in an airtight box so they stay crisp.
Can I use ready-made stock cubes?
Yes, you can dissolve 1 chicken stock cube in 1 litre of hot water. Homemade stock gives deeper flavour, but a good stock cube produces a satisfying soup.
Why did my soup turn out lumpy?
No, lumps do not come from the soup itself. They come from adding the cornflour slurry too quickly or without stirring. Stir the slurry again before pouring, and add it in a slow stream while stirring the soup.
Can I add an egg to this soup?
Yes. Beat 1 egg and pour it in a thin stream after the soup thickens. Stir gently once. The egg forms silky ribbons and adds about 6 grams of protein per egg according to USDA FoodData Central.
Why do my fried noodles turn chewy instead of crispy?
The oil was not hot enough, or the noodles were wet. Pat the boiled noodles dry before frying. Heat the oil to 180 degrees Celsius and fry in small batches. Overloading the oil drops the temperature and steams the noodles.
Conclusion
Chicken manchow soup brings restaurant flavour to the home kitchen with simple ingredients and bold seasoning. The contrast between the hot, garlicky broth and the crunchy noodles is what makes it unforgettable. Serve it immediately after plating, while the steam is still rising.
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