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Is chow mein one of your favorite Chinese takeout dishes? Have you ever wondered how to make it yourself? You may be surprised to know this beloved Chinese dish is easy to make and can be prepared with simple ingredients.
Fine Dining Lovers breaks down the process for you and offers different chow mein recipes so you can experiment and find your favorite. Let's get started!
What is Chow Mein?
This beloved Chinese takeout dish is a stir-fry recipe composed of egg noodles, vegetables and sometimes meat - all dressed in a flavorful soy-based sauce. Chow mein makes for a filling meal and is easy to prepare at home.
Difference Between Chow Mein and Lo Mein
At first glance, it may appear that the difference between chow mein and lo mein is the type of noodle used. However, the main difference between these iconic Chinese dishes is the method of preparation of the noodles.
Mein is the Chinese word for noodles. The term "chow mein" refers to fried noodles while "lo mein" indicates a boiled noodle.
How To Make Chow Mein: The Essentials
As with any stir-fry, the first step is to prep all of your ingredients beforehand. Stir-frying is a quick process and you'll need to have everything chopped and ready to go so it can cook quickly.
Our next tip is to boil the noodles ahead of time. It is best to parboil them as they will continue to cook when you toss them in the stir-fry. Once you strain the noodles dress them in sesame oil and set them aside to cool.
When cooking chow mein you'll want to add the protein to the wok first. Once that cooks it is transferred to another plate while you cook the vegetables.
The veggies that take the longest to cook should be added to the wok first. For instance, add the carrots in first and scallions later.
Once the veggies are cooked the sauce is added to the pan, followed by the noodles. The noodles should crisp up before adding the protein back to the wok. Toss everything together and you've got yourself a fabulous homemade chow mein.
You'll find many more cooking tips in the videos below. Enjoy!
Chicken Chow Mein
Here is a very comprehensive recipe for chicken chow mein. The chicken is cooked first and set aside while you cook up the vegetables and noodles.
Shrimp Chow Mein
Here is a fun recipe for shrimp chow mein, a dish that is sometimes referred to as prawn noodles. Call it what you will it is always delicious!
Beef Chow Mein
Naturally, beef is another great protein you can use in chow mein. Here is a very flavorful recipe you can try at home!
Vegetable Chow Mein
Chef Ken Hom shows you how to make a vegetarian chow mein packed with great flavor.
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