Asian Stir-Fry Noodles

Do you have a pantry full of Leftover vegetables and are too overwhelmed to cook all of it before it goes bad? Does the idea of eating too many vegetables at once make you shudder? If this is the case, look to the wisdom of the East. This exceptionally easy stir-fried noodles recipe will help you clear your pantry and your stress in one fell swoop!

What are Asian stir-fry noodles?

Asian stir-fried noodles can take up many shapes and forms according to the ingredients that you have in your pantry. By far, the most common is the Chinese stir-fried noodles recipe. It almost feels like a shortcut to food that you’d actually pay good money to eat out at a restaurant. This Asian stir fry noodle recipe is an excellent example of a one-pan meal. The cooking process is quick and easy, and it tastes delicious. The dish is a light, healthy, and easy dish that can be made in about 20 minutes. The recipe includes ingredients such as flat noodles, bell peppers, fettuccine, or lo mein, and any vegetables you have on hand, sesame oil, all stir-fried in one pan.

Notable Ingredients at a Glance

Flat noodles – This recipe is traditionally made with flat noodles. If you have made Italian dishes, you might know this as Fettucine. However, in your local Asian grocery market, you will easily find packaged flat noodles or Lo mein noodles. Either of them works.

Bell pepper – Red and yellow bell peppers make the dish colorful. It also adds to the dish’s taste as the bell peppers add the much-needed sweet crunch to the al-dente noodles. You will need one big pepper of each color julienned lengthwise.

Onions – Regular white onions will work wonders. Cut it up into big chunks and separate out the pieces. This will help the onions fry evenly in the pan.

Carrot – 2 medium-sized carrots, julienned, are enough for this recipe.

Chili – Chinese cuisine focuses heavily on the aromas and taste of Chillies. If you want the heat, you could optionally add up to 6 chilies.

Spring onions – The green part of the spring onion. Around two tablespoons is finely chopped for the dish.

Honey – Your standard honey will work; 2 tablespoons of it, though.  Honey coats the chicken better than granulated sugar. It also provides a caramelized flavor when it comes into contact with the hot Wok.

Black Pepper – 2 tbsp or to taste. If possible try to use freshly ground black pepper. The difference in quality is astounding.

Soy sauce – 3 tablespoon of good quality soy sauce here will make all the difference. The standard run-of-the-mill soy sauce will work too. But a good quality fermented soy sauce can add that restaurant-Esque touch to the final dish.

Tomato ketchup – 3 tablespoons of ketchup to add the tanginess.

Salt: According to your taste.

Ginger Garlic paste– 2 tablespoons of grated ginger are added to 1 tablespoon of finely grated garlic.

Boneless Chicken – 500grams of chicken, cut in 2cm cubes. Traditionally, dark meat retains its juices much better than white meat. So you could go for either of these. However, if you are choosing to go for white meat, Do exercise caution while frying. Frying it too much might cause the meat to dry out.

Sesame oil  – 2-3 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil adds a rich aroma to the noodles. At the same time, it provides much-needed lubrication for a better mouthfeel while slurping the noodles.

Chili oil (optional): This is the option of creativity in this recipe. You can add a number of things in place of chili oil or Just forego it all together! Lao Gan Ma and other legendary crispy Chilli oils add the essential Chinese flavours to the dish.

How to prepare Asian stir-fry noodles?

We’ll begin by marinating our chicken in honey, black pepper, ginger garlic paste, and a tablespoon of salt. Then, add to an appropriately sized mixing bowl and massage the spices into the chicken.

Mix the chicken and cover—marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Next up, we will tackle the noodles. Simply boil the noodles according to the package instructions. Do remember to salt the boiling water and cook till al dente. Drain all of the water and coat lightly in oil. This prevents the noodles from sticking to each other. Finally, we will finish cooking in the Wok.

Heat up a pan or wok on high heat and add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and the marinated chicken. You should hear the chicken sizzle. If you don’t instantly hear the sizzle, the pan is not hot enough.

Fry the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on high heat until the chicken turns golden brown in color. Set the chicken aside on a plate.

Add the remaining oil (about a tablespoon) and add ginger garlic paste in the same pan. Saute on low heat for around 30 seconds or until the raw smell disappears.

Now bump up the heat to medium and add the carrots, bell peppers, chilis and onions. Alongside these, add two teaspoons of soy sauce and a teaspoon of salt. Fry it for 2 minutes.

Once the vegetables are adequately sauteed, You can add the boiled noodles. Mix the boiled noodles with the vegetables thoroughly.

Add in a teaspoon of soy sauce and three tablespoons of tomato ketchup and mix it thoroughly with the noodles.

Finally, add the chicken back in and stir fry for 5 minutes on medium flame.

Plate up and garnish with spring onions, your favorite chili oil, and any other garnish you have in mind. Serve hot.

Some expert tips for preparing Asian stir-fry noodles.

• You can add your choice of flat noodles. For example, fettuccine from the pasta aisle can be used as a substitute for the Lo-mein noodles. If you do not find any flat noodles, you can just use regular noodles instead.
• You can adjust the Proportions of the ingredients according to your portion size. For example, the recipe given here serves two people.
• Chilis and chili oil are optional. These noodles do not need to be hot at all if you prefer them to be so.
• You can leave the chicken out or swap it with a vegetarian protein for a vegetarian version of Asian stir fried noodles.

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