Chicken Chow Mein

Name: Chicken Chow Mein
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 10ml (2 teaspoons) cornflour; 15ml (1 tablespoon) soy sauce; 15ml (1 tablespoon) oyster sauce; 15ml (1 tablespoon) Shaoxing wine (optional); 10ml (2 teaspoons) sugar; 2.5ml (½ teaspoon) sesame oil; 6 egg noodle cakes; Boiling water, enough to cover the noodles; 45ml (3 tablespoons) peanut oil; 3 chicken breast fillets, cut into bite size portions; 1 onion, roughly chopped; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 green chillies, finely sliced; 750ml (3 cups) cabbage, finely shredded; 3 carrots, julienned; ½ red bell pepper, julienned; ½ yellow bell pepper, julienned; 3 spring onions, finely sliced; 250ml (1 cup) Mung bean sprouts

by Mauricia's Recipes

4 Servings

45 min

Chicken chow mein is probably the most popular Chinese stir-fried noodles in the world. It’s another all-time family favourite and not without good reason. Not only a simple dish to make, but well-rounded, jam-packed with lots of crunchy veggies. It’s also extremely versatile. You can use any veggies or protein you like. A quick, healthy and flavour-packed recipe. It’s a dish that holds a special place as one of the first meals I cooked. This was way back when I was still a young student at university. I used spaghetti instead of noodles and my sauce had only one ingredient, soy sauce. Thankfully, it’s improved since then! When I’m short on time, I know that I can always rely on this really easy-to-prepare dish that always packs a punch of flavour. It’s a basic recipe that any of you can put together in just a few minutes.

Key to the success of this dish is a very hot wok. Your ingredients should be sizzling when tossed in. Another key to success is preparation. A great stir-fry is all about timing. You need to ensure that all the chopping, slicing and mixing is done by the time you get to the wok. The stir-frying process is fast, furious and seriously hot. So you need all your focus on your wok and you need to add ingredients quickly. One more contributing factor to a good chow mein is a really good sauce. Mix and match your veggies according to availability and personal taste. Experiment and make the recipe your own. You might never want to order a take-away again!

Chicken Chow Mein

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Recipe details

Yield 4 Servings
Time spent: Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 30 Minutes Total time: 45 min

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% Daily value

Ingredients

Sauce

10ml (2 teaspoons) cornflour
15ml (1 tablespoon) soy sauce
15ml (1 tablespoon) oyster sauce
15ml (1 tablespoon) Shaoxing wine (optional)
10ml (2 teaspoons) sugar
2.5ml (½ teaspoon) sesame oil

Chow Mein

6 egg noodle cakes
Boiling water, enough to cover the noodles
45ml (3 tablespoons) peanut oil
3 chicken breast fillets, cut into bite size portions
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 green chillies, finely sliced
750ml (3 cups) cabbage, finely shredded
3 carrots, julienned
½ red bell pepper, julienned
½ yellow bell pepper, julienned
3 spring onions, finely sliced
250ml (1 cup) Mung bean sprouts

Instructions

Mix the cornflour and soy sauce in a small mixing bowl.
Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and mix well.
Pour boiling water over the noodles and cook for 15 minutes.
Drain and rinse under cold running water.
Drizzle with a dash of sesame oil to prevent them from sticking together.
Heat a wok over high heat and add half the peanut oil.
Add the chicken and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and golden brown.
Remove and set aside.
Add the rest of the peanut oil to the wok. Then add the onion, garlic and chillies and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the cabbage, carrots and bell peppers, and also stir-fry for 1 minute.
Make sure that the veggies are still crunchy and not soggy.
Return the chicken to the wok.
Make a well in the centre of the wok, add the sauce and thereafter toss in the noodles.
Top with the spring onions and Mung bean sprouts.
Drizzle with a dash of sesame oil

Tips

Substitute the peanut oil with cooking oil.
You can add whatever veggies you have left in your fridge, such as spinach and mushrooms.
Use dry sherry instead of the Shaoxing wine; if both are unavailable, or not part of your dietary requirements, simply leave them out.

Comments

Kel10133975 on May 06, 2021

Reading through the recipe my hesitation is having to purchase several things if recipe is not successful money down the drain. Also I wouldn't expect to find items in the regular grocery and it would mean extra shopping.

1 Reply
- See 2 previous
- Debby Patrick on May 07, 2021
  
  You say corn “flour “. Did you mean corn starch?
  
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- Mauricia's Recipes on May 12, 2021
  
  Hi there, trust me when I say these ingredients will not go wasted if you love stir-fry and Chinese or Asian food. The sauce ingredients will last a long time and form the base of many of these dishes. Check out my Egg Fried Rice recipe on this site or my Chop Suey recipe on the blog. As for the veggies, they'll never go wasted. Use any leftovers in other dishes. As you correctly highlight, I too don't believe in wasting any produce or money for that matter. Hope this helps in your decision-making. Happy cooking.
  
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- Mauricia's Recipes on May 12, 2021
  
  Yes. We call it corn flour in South Africa. Used as a thickening agent.
  
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Cj on May 07, 2021

this is not chow main this is stir fry

Like Reply
- Mauricia's Recipes on May 12, 2021
  
  Hi there, Chow Mein is Chinese-style fried noodles to which you can add veggies, chicken or seafood. This is my homemade take on it. My family absolutely love it. Use the recipe as a guideline and add ingredients as you prefer. Enjoy!
  
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