DESI CHOW MEIN/ Pakistani-style

            How to make 

        DESI CHOW MEIn ?

DESI CHOW MEIN is ;

                                        A spin on the classic Chinese recipe, this Desi Chow Mein is jam-packed with bold flavours and has just the right amount of heat our Pakistani taste buds love. It is a hearty combination of pan-fried chicken, crunchy vegetables, noodles and my spicy homemade sauce.

Now let's head over to this addictive Pakistani-style spicy 

chicken Chow Mein.

Sauces:

                     Regular soy sauce, oyster sauce, sriracha sauce (or any hot chili sauce), chili garlic sauce (preferably the desi spicy ketchup from Knorr, Mitchell's, Shezan etc) and white vinegar.

Spice:

                 Red chili flakes, brown sugar (can replace with honey or white sugar), freshly grounded black pepper, white pepper and salt.

Toasted sesame oil:

                                                   Toasted sesame oil is used in this recipe not the plain sesame oil. The one made from toasted sesame seeds has a nutty aroma and flavour. You can skip it if you like but I highly recommend adding it.

Chicken stock cube

Use either chicken stock cube or chicken powder.

Vegetables : 

                                 Red onion is optional but it adds a nice colour. Cabbage, bell pepper (any colour), carrots, spring onion and green chilies all contribute to the flavour of these noodles.

Chicken

                         can also be replaced with the protein of your choice.

Chinese noodles

Use Chinese noodles if you can find them, 

otherwise spaghetti or egg noodles are fine too.

Ingredients:

200 g noodles

200 g boneless chicken sliced

⅓ teaspoon salt divided

½ teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon regular soy sauce

1 teaspoon cornflour cornstarch

1 garlic clove crushed

1 small green bell pepper sliced

2 carrots sliced

½ cup cabbage sliced

1 red onion sliced - optional

3 spring onion green part only, sliced

1-2 green chilies deseeded & sliced

1-2 green chilies deseeded & sliced

4 tablespoon oil divided

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

CHOW MEIN SAUCE : 

2 tablespoon regular soya sauce

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon sriracha/chili sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce

¼ chicken cube

½ teaspoon grounded black pepper

½ teaspoon red chili flakes

½ teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions:

1 : Marinate the chicken with ½ teaspoon white pepper, ⅓ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch) and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Keep aside.

2 : Prepare the Chow Mein sauce and put asides

3 : Boil the noodles according to package instructions. Make sure not to over boil or they will get mushy while stir frying. Keep ¼ cup of the water the noodles are boiling in aside.

4 : When the noodles are done, strain them in a colander and run cold tap water through them. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil and keep aside.

5 : In a pan heat a tablespoon of oil. Add the carrot, bell pepper, cabbage and red onion. Sprinkle a dash of salt and black pepper. Stir fry for 3-4 mins only. Do not over cook the veggies. In the end mix the green chili and keep the veggies aside.

6 : In the same pan add 2 tablespoon oil. Saute the crushed garlic and then add the marinated chicken. Fry on medium high heat until cooked then pour in the sauce.

7 : Add the boiled noodles. Immediately add to the pan and toss well. Taste for salt at this point and add some if needed. Add the spring onions and mix.

8 : Take out on a serving plate, sprinkle some sesame seeds and serve.

Nutrition