Chicken Chow Mein
Quick, healthy, and I find that it goes so quick that there is never any second helpings or leftovers.
Quick, healthy, and I find that it goes so quick that there is never any second helpings or leftovers.
- 1 cup water
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 3 chicken thigh or breast fillets skinless and cubed or in 1 inch lengths
- 2 cloves garlic diced finely
- 1 medium carrot sliced thinly
- 7 small broccoli florets
- 7 small cauliflower florets
- 1 stem celery sliced
- 1/4 medium green or red bell pepper ( capsicium ) seeded and cubed
- 1 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 packets 2 minute chicken noodles
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- Carbohydrate 27.3321 g
- Cholesterol 85.905 mg
- Fat 18.9800874776 g
- Fiber 6.57537492007017 g
- Protein 27.538325 g
- Saturated Fat 2.20896249835024 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (455g)
- Sodium 979.825 mg
- Sugar 20.7567250799298 g
- Trans Fat 1.33925749972739 g
- Calories 379 calories
Step-by-step
- Put a saucepan of water on to boil.
- Mix 1 cup of water slowly to the cornflour until all mixed in and no lumps. (Set aside).
- Heat oil on medium high in wok or large deep frypan, when hot add chicken and stirfry for 4 minutes, when turned white add garlic, onion and carrot and stirfry 2 minutes, add celery, cauliflower, broccoli and bellpepper(capsicium) stirfry another 2 minutes.
- Put noodles in saucepan to cook.
- Stir cornfour mixture then add along with the soy sauce to the chicken and vegetables, stirfry until thickened.
- Place noodles on plates and top with stirfry.
A glance at the ingredients misses the critical friction point of moisture management, which turns a quick stir-fry into a watery stew if not handled correctly. When cold vegetables hit a moderately warm pan, they release intracellular water faster than the pan can evaporate it, destroying the sear on the chicken and diluting the soy-cornstarch sauce.
- Ensure the wok or skillet reaches a medium-high temperature before introducing the fat; vegetable oil should shimmer and just begin to emit wisps of smoke within two minutes.
- Cut the chicken breast or thigh into uniform one-inch cubes to guarantee that the meat turns completely white throughout the exact four-minute cooking window without overcooking the edges.
- Whisk the one cup of water into the cornflour until completely lump-free before adding it to the pan, as pouring dry starch directly into hot liquids creates insoluble clumps.
- Stir the thickening mixture right before pouring it in because cornstarch settles quickly to the bottom of the measuring cup.
- Keep the cooking time for the broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, and sliced celery strictly to two minutes to retain their crisp-tender texture.
Serve the finished stir-fry over steamed jasmine rice to absorb the extra savory sauce pooling at the edges of the plate. Standard wheat noodles provide a starchy base, but swapping them for rice noodles changes the textural contrast entirely.
