Mix Chow Mein recipe

My mom is not a fancy cook but she is really good in preparing comfort meals some of which I have included in this cookbook. What I really like about her recipes is, they are easy, and healthy and I usually find almost all the ingredients in my pantry, because I really like it when I don't have to go and shop before cooking. I learned a lot of these simple recipes growing up which I still cook and are my happy meals. 

Today's recipe is - Chow Mein or fried noodles. I like Pasta and Spaghetti. I like their Italian and American versions. This recipe I am going to share was a frequent phenomenon during my teen years (of course along with Chat, Tikiya, Puri, Samosa which are served with lots of tasty spices, recipe follows later in the cookbook). Indian local food has lots of snacking options and it includes all sorts of food. This cookbook tries to cover all those foods and they will be not only Bengali foods but North Indian, South Indian, Mughlai or in this case an Indian version of noodles. 

I was not a picky eater but I used to bug my mom for variety in food and so she decided to bring the restaurant meals to home to make them healthier. I have improvised the recipe as per our palate and pantry ingredients.

Debarshi likes having variety of ingredients in his food and hot bold flavors so I have added a lot of stuff in the Chow Mein recipe. Although the list may look a little overwhelming, all these ingredients are usually at home and you can skip a few if you feel there are too many. I will suggest cooking the recipe, as it is the first time and then improvise on it. Believe me it's so good you will fall in love with it. It has an appealing and delectable taste. The sauces are balanced and if you like spicy hot food add a little extra Chili Garlic sauce.

Now you can prepare this recipe in two ways, either just prepare the Chow Mein as given below and enjoy as it is. Or, if you want to pair it with the Chilly Chicken, skip the Shrimp and Chicken from the below list of ingredients. Enjoy as you like best.

Ingredients:

• Angel hair pasta – 1 pound
• Onion - 2 cups
• Cabbage - 2 cups
• Broccoli - 1 ½ cup
• Black pepper - for seasoning
• Salt - to taste
• Olive oil - 6 teaspoons + 1 tablespoon
• Chili garlic sauce - 3-4 tablespoons
• Ketchup - 3-4 tablespoons
• Soy sauce - 2 tablespoons
• Eggs - 3
• Chicken - boneless and cut into bite size pieces, about 1 ½ cups
• Shrimp - peeled and deveined, about 1 cup
• You can also add Carrots and Bell Peppers

A little prep:

• Julienne the Cabbage and Onions (if you are adding Carrots and Bell Peppers julienne them as well)
• Slice the Broccoli florets into smaller pieces, making sure they're all about the same size for even cooking.
• Beat the eggs lightly.
• Season the Chicken and Shrimp (separately) with Salt and Pepper.
• I like to keep the vegetables crunchy and onions caramelized.
• Also eggs, chicken and shrimp have different cooking times so I fry everything in batches. The non-stick surface of the wok helps to fry the ingredients in less oil.

Directions:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add 1-tablespoon oil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Place pasta in a colander, and give it a quick rinse with cold water.
• Take a non-stick wok and put it on medium heat.
• Divide the noodles into 5-6 equal portions.
• Repeat the following steps for each of the Vegetables, Eggs, Chicken and Shrimp:

1. Put a teaspoon of oil in the wok, add the vegetable (Example: onions), add some Salt and Pepper and fry till it starts caramelizing.
2. Add a portion of the noodles in it and fry well
3. Add some Soy sauce/ Chili Garlic sauce/ Ketchup in it and mix well
4. Put it in a large microwave safe bowl but don't cover it else the steam will make the noodles soggy.

• Repeat the steps for Cabbage, Broccoli, keep an eye on them while cooking and repeat the steps 1, 2, 3 and 4.
• Next fry the Eggs in a scrambled form and repeat the steps 1, 2, 3 and 4.
• Fry the Chicken and Shrimp (separately) in the same way, and fry a portion of the noodles with every batch (Steps 1,2, 3 and 4).
• When everything is fried, take a tong and start mixing the noodles and everything together. I usually wait for a couple of minutes to let the extra steam evaporate and then wear gloves and do it by hand, makes it easy to mix.

Chow Mein is ready. Enjoy!!

Fried egg on a bed of oatmeal cooked with milk and nuts.

Debarshi loves to give me treats especially on weekends. He would wake up early and look for a recipe online. By the time I get up, voila! Breakfast is ready! There is nothing else to make me happier. A hot breakfast and coffee is a lovely start to a great weekend.


Recommended Reading:

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• Alu Tamatar Sabji (Curried Potatoes with Tomatoes)
• Picnic at Smithville Lake, Missouri
• Quick Weeknight Dinner - Shrimp Stir Fry
• Chingri Malai Curry (Shrimp Curry with Coconut Milk)
• Quick Egg Chow Mein
• Buying and Preparing Shrimp
• Chingri Alur Dalna (Shrimp and Potatoes Gravy)
• Hamburger Pasta with homemade Sauce
• Grilled Shrimp Plate with Fire Roasted Corn Salsa
• Yummy Homemade Cheeseburgers
• Alu Shimla Mirch Tamatar Sabji (Potato with Bell Peppers in a Tomato gravy)
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• Jalapeno Shrimp
• Chicken Tikka Chowmein
• Vegetarian Poha Style Chow Mein/ Pasta
• A Taste of Comfort: Lemon, Parmesan Penne Pasta with Chicken
• Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi with Broccoli: A Delicious and Nutritious Twist
• Comforting Rigatoni Pasta with Bell Peppers and Sausage: A Winter Weeknight Delight
• Shell Pasta Bolognese