Veg Chow Mein
International Cuisine

Veg Chow Mein

5/5 - (41 votes)

Veg Chow Mein is one of the most popular street foods in India and a lot of other countries. Chow means stir-fried and Mein means noodles. It is made with noodles, fresh sauteed veggies and simple sauces.

Mostly during the weekend we cook special food and whenever I ask my husband what’s your preference he always chooses Chinese and he agrees to do the chopping and I happily agree. Once all the chopping is done he calls me and then I enter the kitchen as a head chef and prepare the dish and say look how fast I make dinner, then he responds with a cute smile. Preparing Chinese food requires lots of chopping but the cooking time is very less.

My whole family loves Chinese recipes like Gobi Manchurian, Mushroom Fried Rice, Egg Fried Rice, Garlic Fried Rice and I love how quickly it comes together, plus it’s one of those recipes we all agree on.

Last weekend all I really wanted was a giant bowl of Chow Mein with pan-fried noodles to that perfect crispness and crunch so thought of sharing our family favorite recipe with you guys. So whenever you are craving for Indo-Chinese cuisine, skip the takeout and make the best Chow Mein at home in less than 30 min.

Chinese food is good but homemade Chinese food is just next level. Real ingredients prepared fresh in your kitchen is the healthiest and most delicious way to eat this crave-worthy dinner. The flavors are amazing and it’s easy to adapt to add the type of vegetables and noodles that you have on hand and adjust the sauces, spice level as per your taste and preference.

Do try other similar recipes:

Preparation Time: 20mins  ∏  Cooking Time: 15mins  ∏ Servings: 2-3 person

Level: Intermediate(Medium)  ∏  Measurement: 1 Cup ≡ 250 ml ≡ 250gm

Ingredients Checklist:

For boiling noodles

For making Chow Mein

How to make Veg Chow Mein:

Step1: Bring 5-6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add Chow Mein noodles to the boiling water along with a teaspoon of salt and a few drops of oil. Cook noodles according to the package instructions or for 3-4 minutes until 80% cooked.

Step2: Once boiled remove in a strainer and rinse noodles in cold running water very well. This method stops the cooking process. Drain excess water, toss them in 1/2 teaspoon oil and keep aside for further use.

Step3: In a wok heat 1-2 tablespoon vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot add the minced garlic and ginger. Cook them for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Step4: Add sliced onion and saute them for 1-2 minutes on medium-high flame, stirring constantly. (Do not brown the onions)

Step5: Add julienned carrots and saute them for a minute.

Step6: Then add shredded cabbage, colored bell peppers, spring onion white, chopped green chilies. When making Chow Mein, all the vegetables need to be cooked on high heat for a short period of time till they are cooked but still crunchy to the bite. You may also add mushroom if you like. Stir fry everything on a high flame for 2 to 3 minutes.

Step7: Now add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon red chili sauce, 1 tablespoon green chili sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar and salt to taste.

Stir to mix the sauce and spices with the vegetables. Chow Mein generally has a slight twinge of sweetness, but if you don’t like the sweet taste, you can skip adding sugar and tomato ketchup. Saute everything on medium-high flame for 1-2 minutes.

Step8: Add the boiled noodles to the wok. Mix with the help of 2 forks/tongs coat them completely in the sauces.

Step9: Toss it properly until well mixed on high flame. Cook for a couple of minutes till the noodles are completely cooked.

Step10: Turn off the flame. Garnish with spring onion greens. You can also garnish it with about 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds.

Step11: Veg Chow Mein is ready. Serving immediately as a snack or along with any Indo-Chinese side dish Gobi Manchurian or Baby Corn Manchurian.

Veg Chow Mein

Tips:

  • Don’t overcook the noodles, take them out of the boiling water 1-2 minutes before they are completely cooked. Rinse with cold water, apply oil, and keep aside till you stir fry the vegetables.
  • Stir fry the vegetables and noodles on high flame.
  • Since the Chow Mein is cooked on high flame, keep all the vegetables, sauces, and noodles ready before you start the stir-frying. You can even mix all the sauces, vinegar, and pepper in a bowl so that you can add them all in one go.
  • You may use any veggies of choice here. Even green beans, mushrooms, tofu and broccoli also adds great color and nutrition to this dish.

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Translate »
%d bloggers like this: