1mediumred onionthinly sliced using a mandoline slicer
1large carrotor 2 medium, thinly sliced using a mandoline slicer
1mediumgreen pepperthinly sliced using a mandoline slicer
1mediumred pepperthinly sliced using a mandoline slicer
1 & ½ cupsgreen cabbagethinly sliced using a mandoline slicer
2 & ½tablespoonssoy sauceI used a combination of regular and dark soy sauce, you can use just regular one
1tablespoonwhite vinegar
1tablespoontomato ketchup
1teaspoonred chili sauceor any hot sauce, add more if you prefer spicy
1teaspoongreen chili sauceI used Chings brand
1teaspoonsugar
1/4teaspoonwhite pepper powder
black pepperto taste
saltto taste, around 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon
green onionchopped, to garnish
Instructions
Before you start, prep everything. Slice the vegetables using a mandoline slicer. Finely chop your ginger, garlic and green chilies using a food processor. We want everything nicely chopped for this recipe. It will make a difference to the final taste of the dish.
To cook the noodles, bring a pot of water to boil. Once the water starts boiling, add the noodles and cook according to the instructions on the package. Once noodles are cooked, drain the water and rinse the noodles under running water to stop the cooking process. Then toss them in 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of oil so that they do not stick. Set aside.
Heat a work on medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 & 1/2 tablespoon oil to the wok. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped ginger, garlic and chilies. Sauté for 1 minute making sure you don't burn the ginger garlic. Then add the sliced onions and cook for 1 minute. The heat should remain high medium.
Now, add the remaining veggies- carrot, green pepper, red pepper and cabbage. Cook the vegetables for 2 minutes on high heat. They should remain crunchy.
Then add the boiled noodles to the wok along with all the sauces- soy sauce, white vinegar, tomato ketchup, red chili sauce, and green chili sauce. Also add sugar, white pepper powder, black pepper and salt to taste.
Now, stir using a pair of tongs until the noodles are well coated with the sauce. This takes around 2 minutes, and you can lower the heat during this time. Garnish with spring onions if you like and your veg chow mein is ready.
Notes
You can make this recipe gluten free by using your favorite gluten free noodles. Also make sure to use gluten free soy sauce in that case.
If you wish to add protein to your chowmein, you can try adding fried paneer or tofu to it. Traditionally though, these are never added to the recipe.
Don't overcook the noodles, they should have a firm bite to them. Do not overcook the vegetables either, they need to be crunchy.