Chow Mein is a classic takeaway favorite! Egg noodles and veggies fried and tossed with a delicious sauce. With this easy recipe, you'll forget where you put the takeout menu. This delicious and quick noodle recipe uses grocery store ingredients to have dinner on the table in no time. The ingredients are stir-fried in deliciously seasoned oil before being tossed with a sauce made with a few simple Asian ingredients, all of which you can find in your grocery store.
Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. Set to one side.2 teaspoons cornstarch 4 teaspoons soy sauce 4 teaspoons chinese cooking wine 4 teaspoons oyster sauce ½ teaspoon sugar ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Prep the veg and noodles:
Finely chop the spring onions/green onions into 2"/5cm strips. Use the white and green parts of the onion.8 spring onions/green onions
Peel the carrot and cut it into thin strips.2 carrots
Prepare the noodles as per the instructions. If using fresh, this is usually rinsing or soaking in water for a minute. If using dried, then it is generally boiling for 3-4 minutes. But each packet is different, so check yours.12oz/380g chow mein noodles
Ensure the noodles are well-drained and set aside to dry
To cook the Chow Mein.
Place the chopped spring onions/green onions into a heatproof bowl.
Heat all of the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan or wok.4 tablespoons oil
Once smoking hot, turn off the heat pour the oil over the chopped spring onions. It will sizzle and spit like a crazy thing!
Once the sizzling has subsided, drain the oil through a sieve, reserving the spring onions for later.
Pour half of the oil back into the pan and place on high heat.
Add the shredded cabbage and carrot, then stir fry over high heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds.2 cups shredded green cabbage prepared carrots 1 clove chopped garlic
Remove the veg to a plate - See note 3
Add the remaining oil to the pan and allow it to get hot. Add the noodles, stir gently to coat the noodles in the oil. Once glossy and heated through, return the veg to the pan and stir gently to combine.
Give your prepared sauce a whisk together, then add it to the pan, turning and constantly stirring to coat the noodles in sauce.
Add the bean sprouts and reserved spring onions and toss for 30 seconds or until the bean sprouts have just started to wilt.1 cup beansprouts prepared spring onions/green onions
Serve immediately.
Notes
You will want to buy noodles that specifically say for chow mein (or low mein). I prefer the fresh ones as they have a better texture; here in Australia, I tend to buy Fantastic Noodles - Chow Mein Noodles. They taste great, have a good texture, and only need soaking for a minute in boiling water. If you can only buy dried egg noodles, then don't panic. Just cook them as directed on the packet. And ensure they are drained and dry before cooking the chow mein.
Chinese Cooking Wine is also known as Chinese Rice Wine, Shaohsing Rice Cooking Wine, Shaoxing wine, or Shaoxing Cooking Wine. You can find this in most grocery stores in the Asian section. Just don't get it confused with rice wine vinegar, as that will ruin your stir fry!!! If you can't find Chinese Cooking Wine, you can use dry sherry.
I remove the veg from the pan as it starts to get too hard to stir everything together without losing food over the edges. If you have a giant frying pan or wok, you can keep everything in the pan.