Vegetable chow Mein is a portion of Chinese food that uses fried noodles mixed with vegetables. It is an easy-to-prepare food that is very healthy and takes very few minutes to prepare. There is no specific vegetable that can be used and can be used depending on the availability and owner’s preference.
Cabbage is readily available so many people tend to use it when preparing their vegetable chow Mein. This meal is prepared using two different kinds of chilies and pepper. Switching the vegetables used for preparation will help one get the best for daily consumption.
This article is about vegetable chow Mein. It contains all the required tools that can be used to prepare vegetable chow Mein, all the needed ingredients with their specified quantity, the procedure that can be followed by starters and those that are not sure, and some preservation methods.
Tools used to prepare vegetable chow Mein
1. A pan
This is a tool used for boiling and frying purposes. In this case, several pans should be used to ensure the preparation takes the shortest time possible.
2. Kitchen knives
These are special knives that are used for various purposes like slicing green onions, chopping vegetables, peeling and cutting carrots into pieces, peeling ginger, slicing water chestnuts, slicing shiitake mushrooms, and other ingredients that need to be sliced or reduced to small pieces.
3. Tablespoons
These are commonly used tools when adding small amounts of ingredients like vegetable oil, salt, soy sauce among others.
4. Slatted spaghetti spoon
This is a tool that is mostly used when preparing vegetable chow Mein to transfer cooked noodles to the wok containing cooked vegetables.
5. Chopping board
This is a board used specifically to place vegetables when chopping like cabbage, tomatoes, and many others so that it becomes easy to chop them.
6. A cup
Most of the time a cup is used when dealing with ingredients like water, small grains like beans when needed accurately.
7. Cast iron
It is pan-like equipment used instead of a wok. It is used for main cooking and is usually very large.
8. Spatulas
These are used to scope some ingredients that are hard to remove or open packages.
9. Tongs
These are tools used for holding hot ingredients and for checking the progress of the ingredients when cooking.
10. Mixing bowls
These are big bowls that are used to combine different ingredients before or after the preparation of the food.
11. A strainer
This tool is used to separate solid substances from liquid substances when not needed.
Ingredients
i. 3 big carrots are peeled, trimmed and cut into small pieces.
ii. 3 cups (9 ounces) of either Chinese beans or green beans.
iii. 10 ounces of dried chow Mein noodles or fresh chow Mein noodles.
iv. 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
v. 11/2 pieces of peeled and minced ginger, approximately 2 inches each.
vi. 21/2 minced garlic cloves.
vii. 7 large thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms.
viii. 2 (7 ounces) cans of rinsed, drained, and sliced water chestnuts.
ix. 1/2 cup chicken broth of low sodium.
x. ¾ cup of hoisin sauce
xi. 21/4 tablespoons of soy sauce
xii. 3 tablespoons of honey
xiii. Kosher salt
xiv. Well ground fresh black pepper
xv. 3 thinly sliced green onions
xvi. I cup properly chopped cabbage.
Method/procedure
Step 1
Prepare the vegetables, chilies, ginger, and garlic.
Step 2
Heat your oil with medium heat on a big wok or a frying pan.
Step 3
Add black pepper, onions (spring onions), and leeks onto the frying pan and fry for about 3 minutes.
Step 4
To the frying pan, add garlic, chilies, and ginger then fry for another 3minutes.
Step 5
Add mushrooms, cabbage, and carrots to the wok and continue frying for 15 more minutes.
Step 6
Add some water to the pan to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pan and steam the vegetables too.
Step 7
Fill a large pan with salted water and boil.
Step 8
Put the noodles into the boiled water then lower the heat to simmer. Cook the noodles as per the instructions given on the package.
Step 9
Transfer the already cooked noodles to the wok of vegetables using a slatted spaghetti spoon. Add soy sauce and black pepper then toss the noodles and vegetables thoroughly.
Methods used to preserve vegetable chow Mein
Various methods can be used to prepare vegetable chow, Mein. These methods include;
i. Canning
This method involves putting food in a canning jar, then putting the jar in a boiling water pot to allow hot air to enter the jar to free the food from microorganisms and bacteria.
ii. Refrigeration
The food can be stored in a refrigerator to preserve it. It lasts for about 5 weeks when properly maintained in the refrigerator.
iii. Pickling
This is another method used to preserve vegetable Chow Mein food. It is done by adding some salt to the food, pepper, or other seasonings to the food.
iv. Dehydration
It is a common method used to preserve vegetable chow Mein by simply drying all the water present in the food. It is a very good method as it does not allow any water that acts as a medium for bacteria and microorganisms multiplication.
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Frequently asked questions:
- Question1: Which are the noodles to use when preparing vegetable chow Mein?
Solution
Most companies deal in chow Mein noodles which are just known as chow. There are other noodles like ramen and others.
- Question 2: Is there any difference between vegetable Lo Mein and vegetable Chow Mein?
Solution
Vegetable Lo Mein is similar to vegetable chow Mein but the only difference is in their ways of preparation. Vegetable chow Mein is prepared by frying method while vegetable Lo Mein is only cooked.
Conclusion
Vegetable chow Mein is prepared using noodles. Most of these readily available noodles are chow Mein mostly known as chow. They are made with eggs so all those that have health issues like an allergy when they take eggs should not use this type of noodles instead use the other type like ramen.
Apart from noodles, vegetable chow Mein is also made using vegetables. Everyone is allowed to use the vegetables they like most but it is also advisable to try all the available vegetables. It is also prepared using sauces like chili sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and others.