This vegetable chow mein is the Indian street style version of chow mein full of vegetables and high on flavor. This version of the chow mein is completely vegan.
Vegetable chow mein - The Indo-Chinese version
Chow mein is a popular dish where we stir fry vegetables, protein, sauces along with egg noodles. It is widely eaten here in the US and is considered a Chinese American restaurant staple. However, today we will look at the Indo-Chinese version that came about in the Eastern Indian city of Kolkata.
The main difference with the Indo-Chinese version are the red and green chili sauces that we add to the soft chow mein along with Garam Masala. Now the Garam Masala is optional and I skipped it as well. We will also use fresh chopped onions to top the finished noodles.
Although not pictured in the photos, I served it topped with some airfried marinated tofu. You can also scramble a couple of eggs and add it to the chow mein. The full list of ingredients are in the ingredient section and recipe card below.
Ingredients
Chow mein noodles or egg noodles - I used egg free thin wheat noodles. You best bet would be find these in Indian stores or East Asian stores. You can of course use egg noodles if you choose.
Vegetables - I used cabbage, green bell pepper, onions and carrots. I cut all the vegetables in to thin along strips and cut the carrots in to match sticks. Keep aside some of the onion slices since you can choose the top the chow mein later if you want to.
Aromatics - I used freshly garlic finely chopped. I also topped the dish with chopped green onions.
Sauce - The sauce that goes in to the chow mein includes a combination of soy sauce, rice vinegar, red chili sauce and green chili sauce. The red chili sauce and green chili sauce is something I have only seen in Indian stores if you live outside India. There are a few brands available and I used the ones from 'Ching's'.
Oil - I used avocado oil but you can also use sesame oil.
Salt and White Pepper - White pepper is much less pungent and adds a milder, earthier flavor
Water - Required for cooking the noodles
FAQs
Serve along fried or roasted tofu, tempeh, gobi manchurian or this delicious chili babycorn
Vegetable chow mein can a healthy main or dish as part of a balanced diet. When you make it at home, you can control the amount of oil and salt that goes in to making it. The recipe already calls for a lot of vegetables to be used. You can add more as you choose. With added protein, this chow mein will a balanced, healthy meal.
You can use lots of vegetables including broccoli, leeks, mushrooms, zucchini, bok choy, mukimame(shelled edamame) etc.
How to make chow mein?
The key to getting this vegetable chow mein right is mise en place or having all the ingredients ready to go before you start the cooking process. You can get the chow mein ready and on the table in no time when you keep vegetables cut and the sauce ready to go.
Cooking the noodles - Bring the water in a pan to a rolling boil and cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Usually this would be 3-4 minutes. Once you see the noodles are almost done cooking, remove it from the cooking water. Rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking process and remove any excess water. Now add 2-3 tablespoons of oil and gently mix to coat the noodles well. Place the noodles in a strainer to let it completely cool down.
Stir Fry Vegetables - Heat a wok or kadai, add some oil and add the chopped garlic. Cook for 30 seconds until slightly golden brown and add the onions. Cook for a minute . Then add the bell pepper and cook for a minute or two again depending on how well you like it cooked(I prefer cooking for longer since my little one does not like crunchy vegetables :)). Repeat the same with carrots and cabbage. You can also cook each vegetable individually and add it back to the pan to prevent overcooking.
Once the vegetables are done, add a part of the sauce and mix well. Then add the noodles to the wok. If the noodles are stuck together, separate them gently with your fingers before adding the noodles back to the wok. Add the remaining sauce and some salt for seasoning along with ground white pepper if required. Toss well until everything is coated. Top with some raw sliced or chopped onions or green onions before serving.
If you enjoyed this recipe, then try these other East Asian or East Asian inspired recipes including Thai Basil Fried Rice, Green Bean and Mushroom Stew, Vegan Japchae, Veg Manchow Soup, Crispy Chili Baby Corn, Vegan Dumpling Soup
If you tried this recipe, please leave a comment letting me know what you thought and any feedback or question(s) you might have. You can also follow along on social media at Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram.
Recipe
Recipe
Vegetable Chowmein
Equipment
- 1 Wok or Kadai
Ingredients
- 400 g Chow Mein or Ramen Noodles
- 1 Red or Yellow Onion thinly sliced
- 2 Carrots cut in to match sticks
- 1 Bell Pepper (any color) sliced
- ¼ Cabbage head sliced
- 2 stalks Green Onion
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Green Chili Sauce reduce/increase based on heat preference
- 2 tablespoon Red Chili Sauce reduce/increase based on heat preference
- 2 + 2 tablespoon Avocado or Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon White Pepper
- Salt to taste
- 6 cup Water for cooking noodles
Instructions
- Bring the water in a pan to a rolling boil and cook the noodles according to the package instructions. This should take 3-4 minutes. Once you see the noodles are almost done cooking, then remove the noodles from the cooking water.
- Rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking process and remove any excess water. Now add 2 tablespoons of oil and gently mix to coat the noodles well. Place the noodles in a strainer to let it completely cool down
- Heat a wok or kadai, add some oil and add the chopped garlic. Cook for 30 seconds until slightly golden brown and add the onions. Cook for a minute . Then add the bell pepper and cook for a minute. Repeat the same with carrots and cabbage. You can also cook each vegetable individually and add it back to the pan to prevent overcooking.
- Once the vegetable are done, add a part of the sauce and mix well. Then add the noodles to the wok. If you see the noodles are stuck together, gently separate them with your fingers before adding it in. Add the remaining sauce. Also add some salt for seasoning if required along with the white pepper. Toss well until everything is coated.
- Top with some raw sliced or chopped onions or green onions before serving.
Comments
No Comments