It (the vegetable chow mein) lookin good eh?… As if you could just stretch your hand and take a taste of the mushroom…. or just a tiny piece of carrot or sweet pepper smothered in the sesame oil and soy sauce. Mmmm! If only the sight of this chow mein could fill my stomach right now ……
Taste memory alert… I'm actually salivating here remembering how this vegetable chow mein went down. And, Boy! It was all good. Yeah! Washed down with a cold glass of freshly brewed mauby …it was a Saturday lunch to remember. Meat? You mean to say this didn't have any meat? I didn't even miss it for that minute or two while my taste buds were reveling in the“scrumpaliciousness”
A Tasty Vegetable Chow Mein
Anyhow, this vegetable chow mein recipe is not exactly what you will get from any Chinese restaurant in Trinidad and Tobago. What you get when you order the famed No. 1 ( Rice, Chow Mein and Chicken) is really rice, stir fried vegetables and chicken. Oh how we have been taken for a ride all these years.
Strangely it's only when I began to really research this recipe I noticed what was really Chow Mein meaning Fried Noodles. And, then according to where you are in China, this dish is prepared differently…. but still with noodles.
So, after much thought I decided to do it this way since this is really what it is supposed to be like. After all, the word “mein” means noodles, so how is it possible to call a dish chow mein and there isn't any noodles. Now that's a mystery!
Well, while I'm off to learn about the mystery of how the Chow Mein lost its noodles in Trinidad, here's Vegetable Chow Mein. Enjoy!
The Vegetable Chow Mein Recipe
VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN
Ingredients:
1 tin (425 g) baby corn
1 tin (400 g) button mushroom
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 small cabbage, thinly sliced
1 large sweet pepper,
1 small onion, thinly sliced
184 g lou mein egg noodles
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. soy sauce.
1/2 tsp. corn starch (for solution)
1 tbsp water ( for solution)
1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
oil for frying (about 2 tbsp)
1 sprig chive, chopped (optional)
Direction:
Boil and drain noodles.
Cut up the vegetables.
Mix the cornstarch solution
(1/2 tsp. cornstarch : 1 tbsp. water) and set aside.
Heat wok and bring oil to a boil over a medium to high flame. Add the onion and stir fry for 30 seconds.
Stir fry the carrots and sweet pepper for 1 minute.
Then add the corn, mushrooms….
And cabbage.
Stir fry for one minute until the vegetables are cooked.
Add the soy sauce and salt, then thicken with corn starch solution.
( 1/2 tsp. cornstarch : 1 tbsp. water). Add sesame oil, noodles and chive stirring evenly. Turn off heat.
Serve hot.
Vegetable Chow Mein
Ingredients
- 1 tin 425 g baby corn
- 1 tin 400 g button mushroom
- 2 carrots thinly sliced
- 1/2 small cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 large sweet pepper
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 184 g lou mein egg noodles enriched egg noodles
- 2 tsp. salt optional
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp. corn starch for solution
- 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
- Oil for frying about 2 tbsp
- 1 sprig chive chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Boil and drain noodles. Cut up the vegetables. Mix the cornstarch solution (1/2 tsp. cornstarch : 1 tbsp. water) and set aside.
- Heat wok and bring oil to a boil over a medium to high flame. Add the onion and stir fry for 30 seconds. Stir fry the carrots and sweet pepper for 1 minute. Then add the corn, mushrooms and cabbage.
- Stir fry for 1 minute until the vegetables are cooked. Add seasonings (except corn starch and sesame oil) then thicken with corn starch solution.
- Add sesame oil, noodles and chive stirring evenly. Turn off heat. Serve hot.
OK I haven't solved the mystery as yet …there seems to be a language barrier lol! but I'm trying.
See you soon.
Ah Gone!
P.S. It has now dawned on me …probably it was done for commercial reasons…..You can order a N0. 1 or you can also order rice, noodles and chicken or quite possibly rice, chow mein, noodles and chicken….that combination will certainly be a bit more expensive I guess!
I have to tell you, I just love this site. Being far from home is rel stress sometimes and I can’t keep calling mummy and daddy to get recipes from them…I want to make them feel like I actually know how to cook without their instruction….lol..I hoping to make this soon. Keep the recipes coming!!!
Thank you for your comment Ocean and I will keep them coming 🙂
tried to print the recipe, but could not, could you check the link, and let me know when I can print it
Thanks bro !
Robert
Working on it 🙂
Thanks for all your hard work posting and cataloging all of the delicious Trini food that I miss here in Maryland. I can’t wait to try this recipe at home!
Thank you Elizabeth 🙂
How many would this recipe serve?
Serving size and other nutritional data can be found at http://www.simplytrinicooking.org/recipe/vegetable-chow-mein/. All you have to do next time is click the “print this recipe” link below.
These recipes come in handy at skool… I simply love this site….
Thank you Lizzieee 🙂
Hi Felix, love your site, you have great recipes I can’t wait to try but with the chow mein can I use any other oil eg. olive oil?
The 2tbsp oil for frying can be olive oil but you must use the sesame oil since it is for flavour.
Hello, what do you do with the soy sauce? And also, what ingredients does the ‘seasoning’ include?
The seasonings include the soy sauce and the salt. Maybe I should clarify that in the method. Good comment Ann. 🙂
heyy!!! What can i sub cornstarch with..??
tapioca starch.
I’ve always meant to leave a comment to thank you for all your delicious recipes. So today is the day self, since as I have a pack of chow mein there and wanted to cook it the authentic Trini style. Thank you Mr Felix for your hard work and dedication!!! Ah going and cook now alyuh, food should be done by 11:00 am. Fresh Peppa on de table! And ah make the chow already. Just bring what alyuh drinking eh? Nice….