Chow Mein Recipe
Blog: www.nextinlime.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Vegetable Mix
- 3 cups (200 g) thinly sliced green cabbage - pack the cups tightly
- 1 small (60 g) carrot - peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks (julienned)
- 1 small (80 g) green or red bell pepper - aka capsicum, sliced into thin strips
- 3 green onions / scallions - cut into 1-inch pieces, keep whites and greens separate
Chow Mein Sauce
- 2 teaspoons corn starch - aka cornflour in some regions
- 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha - adjust to taste ⓘ
- 2 teaspoon regular white vinegar - food-grade
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper - or ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Other Ingredients
- 7 ounces (200 g) uncooked egg noodles - See Note A for options
- 2.5 tablespoons cooking oil - should have a high smoke point
- 8 ounces (225 g) chicken breasts - boneless, skinless, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ teaspoon regular white salt
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
Instructions
- Things move quickly once you start cooking, so get all your ingredients prepped and ready to go beforehand. Tip: Use the checkboxes next to each ingredient to keep track of your prep.
- Add all the ingredients listed under “vegetable mix” to a large mixing bowl, except for the green part of the scallions/green onions. Mix and set aside.
- To make the sauce, combine the cornstarch with ¼ cup water in a bowl and stir until fully dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients listed under “chow mein sauce” and mix well. Set aside.
- Cook the noodles for one minute less than the package instructions. Drain immediately and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking. Toss the noodles with a teaspoon or two of cooking oil to keep them from sticking together. Set aside.
- Use a wide, big skillet or wok, preferably nonstick, so the food has room to spread out. Heat the oil in it over high heat. Add the sliced chicken, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook until it’s no longer pink. It’ll take 1 to 3 minutes, depending on how thick the pieces are. Chicken should be "almost" cooked through.
- Then add minced garlic and cook for 5 seconds. Quickly add the "vegetable mix" and stir-fry for 2 to 4 minutes, or just until the cabbage has wilted. Don't turn down the heat, or the veggies will start releasing liquid.
- Push the veggies and chicken over to one side of the skillet/wok and pour the sauce into the space you've cleared. Let it cook for 10 seconds, then add the cooked noodles and green parts of the scallions/green onions.
- Fold everything together gently until the sauce has coated everything evenly. Serve immediately.
Notes
Note A: Noodles – I don’t always use the fresh yellow egg noodles or chow mein noodles traditionally used for chow mein. A bit too lazy to drive 25 minutes to the Asian store just to get them, especially when everything else can be found at almost any major supermarket with an international food aisle. What I do always have in my pantry, though, are uncooked dried “egg” noodles, and they work great. I’ve used ramen noodles too, after tossing the seasoning and sauces, and spaghetti in a pinch. Dried noodles labeled chow mein or lo mein are also good options.