This easy and delicious stir fried Cabbage Chow Mein is perfect for a quick weekday dinner on it's own, or it pairs beautifully with a crisp salad. Add wontons, dumplings or spring rolls for a Fakeaway Feast at home. Leftovers keep well, in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days, for re-heating.
What you need:
200g chow mein noodles (honestly though, I use whatever noodles I have in the cupboard.. 2minute type noodles will do the trick, or even trusty ol' spaghetti if that's all you have)
500g beef mince (or substitute with your choice of mince, such as venison or plant-based)
approx 1/2 a cabbage (roughly 2-3 cups finely sliced)
1 large or 2-3 small / medium carrots (or substitute green beans, celery, pak choi or zucchini)
1 large onion (or substitute a large fennel, leek or a few spring onions)
2-3 cloves garlic
20ml light soy sauce
10ml dark soy sauce (or substitute additional light soy sauce)
20 ml oyster sauce (or substitute hoison sauce)
1 tablespoon runny honey (or substitute 1 teaspoon coconut sugar)
1 teaspoon curry powder (or substitute chilli flakes)
2 tablespoons cornflour
3 tablespoons filtered water
Freshly ground sea salt and pepper
Olive oil
What to do:
Prepare the sauce by mixing together in a small bowl; both types of soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, curry powder (can leave the curry powder out if you prefer no heat, or add more if you like it a bit spicy) and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well and set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the cornflour and water, and whisk well to make a slurry.
Cook the noodles according to the packet directions, or until they are al dente. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside (stir a splash of olive oil through the noodles to prevent sticking / clumping).
While the noodles are cooking, prep your vege; Top and tail and peel the carrots, then cut them Julienne - I do this using my mandolin but you can slice them thinly with a sharp knife, or simply grate them if you want. Remove any sad looking outer cabbage leaves as well as the tough heart of the cabbage, slice the cabbage leaves finely. Dice the onion, and finely slice the garlic cloves.
Coat a wok (or large fry pan) well with olive oil, and put on the stovetop over a medium / high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the mince, along with a tablespoon of the soy sauce mix, and break the mince up well. Stir the mince while cooking; when are no raw bits left and it is beginning to caramelise, add the carrot and cabbage to the wok, followed by the pre-cooked noodles, and stir to combine.
Add the cornflour slurry to the remainder of the soy sauce mix and stir well, then add to the wok. Cook, stirring continuously for a few minutes, until the carrot and cabbage are cooked through, then remove from the heat and serve immediately. Enjoy!