Vegetarian Chinese Chow Mein

Vegetarian Chinese Chow Mein

4-6 servings

 Ingredients
400g chow mein noodles (egg noodles)
3 - 4 cups cabbage finely shredded
3-4 Pak Choi
3 carrots
3 scallions
1 cup soybeans
1 red pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 tbsp peanut oil (or other cooking oil)
½  cup (4 tbsp) water
Chow Mein Sauce (recipe below)


Chow Mein Sauce
2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
3 tbsp soy sauce (ordinary all purpose soy sauce or light soy sauce)
3 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (or sherry)
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
White pepper

Instructions
Chow Mein Sauce:
Mix together cornflour and soy sauce, than mix in remaining ingredients.

 Noodles:
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.

 Vegetables:
Boil the soybeans and set aside. Cut the vegetables in sticks about 4 cm length and about 2-3 mm thick.  Try to cut all the same size.

 Wok:
Heat oil in wok or large fry pan over high heat. Add garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds until the garlic is golden brown and you can smell the garlic in the oil.  Remove garlic from wok.

 Add the cabbage and carrots to the wok/frying pan. Stir fry for 1 - 1½ minutes until the cabbage and carrots are just starting to wilt. Add the red pepper, scallions and last the Pak Choi. Stir in with the rest of the vegetables for about ½ minute. Add the Chow Mein Sauce.

 Add the vegetables to the noodles, toss and mix well. Sprinkle the sesame oil over and toss all again to mix well.

 In a Chow Mein you can really add the vegetables of your liking. I used what I had in my refrigerator. If you don´t want it vegetarian style you can add meat like beef or chicken or seafood like shrimps. Tofu and bean sprouts are commonly used in China. If you add meat you slice the meat in thin slices and stir fry by itself and set aside while you wok the vegetables.

 If you want to add meat, tofu or shrimps: Marinate the slices before stir frying.  Combine 2 teaspoons soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Add the slices of your choice and toss to completely coat. Set aside while you cook the noodles. Add some oil in a wok or frying pan and heat, stir in the meat, tofu or shrimps and toss around. Set aside until you prepared the rest of your ingredients.