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Iftar Recipes 2019

April 4, 2019

6 RECIPES TO TRY IN RAMADAN 2019

Of course I had to Iftar recipes round up for you guys! So, Ramadan is right around the corner and I am sure you all are busy prepping for it already.

Prepping for Ramadan spiritually, practically and food wise as well. All around the world the customs and food for Ramadan are always different and I love trying new things. For us brown folks, samosa, pakoras, fruit chat and dahi bareys are like a must! And living in Saudi Arabia for a while, I know people here eat a dish called Shorba in their iftar as well. So I thought instead of compiling together recipes, that I know you guys will already be making, why not give you different new options to try that you can add to your Iftar table. All these recipes can be prepared in advance (which is why I chose them honestly) and I’ve even added a few healthy recipes to make a complete food spread.

1.Chili Parm Chicken Nuggets.

Ya, like I was going to skip fried food for Iftar! These chicken parmesan nuggets are perfect for Iftar. Mostly, because you can prepare them days in advance and freeze them ahead for using in Ramadan. Plus, they are super kid friendly! Spice up your regular nuggets with some chili and parm and wow your Rozedars. Click here to get the recipe.

2. Sweet and Sour Veggie Sticks

The best kind of iftar table is one which is balanced. If you are someone who likes to have samosa, pakoras on your menu ( a…I am looking at all brown folks here), you’ll know you need some healthy food on the table to reduce that guilt factor. These veggie skewers are purrrrrfect for just that. Easy to assemble, delicious to eat and nutritious to label, these sweet and sour sticks are going to add a pop of color and health to your table. Click here to read the recipe.

healthy veggie sticks recipe — Sweet and sour Veggie sticks

3. Sweet Mayo Vegetable Sandwiches

Hi, I am a brown person. My family needs 10 to 12 different items in iftari. ugh. Like cooking in Ramadan is our only task. When you have a menu to prepare which is fit for a king, look for easy filling options that will make your iftar spread look vast and beautiful in half the amount of time. These beautiful and easy cold cut sandwiches are prepared within 20 mins, can be made in advance and also, easy on the wallet. You just need some mayo, seasonings, capsicum and cabbage and viola! You have a dish ready. Get the full recipe here

4. Tangy Lentil Oats Bowl

Ok I might not serve this in an Iftar party, but I sure am serving this for my family on a daily basis! This red lentils and oats bowl is like the healthiest thing you can gulp down while your breaking your fast. It fills you up with some healthy proteins and complex carbs plus is super delicious. If you like red lentils, you will love this one. Get to the full recipe here.

5. Chicken Tikka Open Sandwiches

Don’t do 2 sandwiches together in 1 iftar party ok? But just for inspiration, here is another Sandwich recipe you can try on some other day. You can prepare them early on in the day, and refrigerate. No last minute hassle into getting these made, which is honestly all I need in Ramadan. Click here for the easy peasy recipe.

6. Chicken and Oats Kebabs

Hey, you gotta eat the right kinds of food too ok? I know you are going to make your samosa, spring rolls and dahi bareys. Cz, guess what? I am too! LOL! But you gotta pair it with some healthy side kicks so we don’t all go into a food coma right after and are found lying some where in the house. (this may or may not haver happened to me…). If lentil oats are not your thing, that’s alright. You can try these chicken and oats kebabs. They look and taste very similar to chapli kebabs. You can serve them as it is, or use these to make burgers or sandwiches! Get the recipe here.

What do you guys like to add to your Iftar tables? Do you have any traditional iftar recipes? I’d love to hear from you! Let me know below!

Boneless Chicken Handi

March 28, 2019

I am not sure how many versions of a boneless chicken handi recipe are out there in the world right now, but I can tell you how many I have tried already. I’ve tried the ones with almond paste, the ones with cashew nut paste, I’ve tried ones that had flour in it! And ones with no cream. Needless to say, this is the one I stuck with. For those of you who are new to Pakistani/Indian food, Chicken Handi is a common onion and tomato gravy based dish that has all the spices to make your taste buds light up! (there’s a modification in the end to reduce the heat for those who can’t handle it ok?)

This is one of those perfect recipes that is rich enough to be served in Dinner parties and light enough to be added in the weekly meal rotations. Just like Dam ka Keema (slow cooked ground beef) and the Chicken Malai pulao, this one is also quick and effortless.

STEPS TO MAKING THE BEST HANDI

We are going to use chopped onions in this version of the chicken handi. Start by adding oil and ghee in a pot. If it were up to me I would totally use ghee completely (as it is healthy). So, add chopped onions and green chilies.

Disclaimer: The green chilies I used were the big ones that we often use in Chicken Karhai. So they weren’t very strong. If you opt for using smaller more stronger green chilies, reduce the number of green chilies by half.

When your onions turns a good golden brown color (in about 5 mins), add tomatoes. The tomatoes I use are cut into 4 pieces and de-seeded. I want to take a minute to emphasize the importance of this step right here ok?

Tomatoes are amazingly versatile. They can offer different taste and textures just by being added differently into recipes. This recipe calls for half fried tomatoes softened up and then blended. If you blend the tomatoes raw, the taste and texture of the end result will change significantly, just a heads up 🙂

Getting back to the steps, let your tomatoes fry in the oil and soften up. It takes about 5 to 8 mins. When your tomatoes have softened, turn off the flame.

Push the tomatoes to one end and move them directly into the blender. We don’t want to add more oil for the chicken. This way you can use the same oil in the pan to saute boneless chicken.

Blend the tomatoes with yogurt and set aside.

In the same oil, add boneless chicken and all the spices mentioned in the recipe. And saute the chicken for about 2 to 3 mins until the chicken changes color.

Add the tomato paste back into the chicken and cover with the lid. Let the gravy cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Pro-tip: I like to add 1 tbsp of tomato paste as well for a bit of a color boost since the tomatoes here don’t really have a good color going on.

You will see the oil seperate from the sides after a while (roughly 10 to 15 mins). And your gravy will have a thick look similar to butter chicken. Add the cream at this point and dried fenugreek leaves as well. Cook for another 2 minutes to let the cream cook through and turn that flame off!

This would be a good time to check seasonings, salt etc. The cream kind of subdues the flavors a little. Which is actually the point of adding it as well.

RECIPE ALTERATIONS

If you are not some one who can tolerate spicy food, skip the green chilies and red chili powder in the recipe.

If your Chicken Handi turns out to be more spicy than you wanted, just add a little more cream and a bit more salt to balance out the flavors.

You can use the same recipe for regular chicken as well.

If your not a fan of adding cream to your gravy dishes, skip the green chilies and black pepper from the recipe and make the recipe without cream.

More Recipes Like this

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

Easy Shakshuka Recipe

March 21, 2019

If you have an egg-diction and an inkling to try something new, this Authentic and Easy Shakshuka recipe is for you, my friend! Cooked in a spicy tomato stew, these poached eggs from the lands of Arabia are here to win hearts!

shakshuka garnished with feta, served with bread on the side.

So, if I am being totally honest with you guys, I hadn’t tried Shakshuka before 2019. Ya! IT took me THAT long to try a Mediterranean classic living in the Middle East. How ironic is that! But when I did, I became a loyal fan instantly. Saudi Champagne, Shakshuka, and Arabian Nachos are my favorite finds here in the ME.

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What is Shakshuka?

A traditional Shakshuka is a North African/Middle Eastern one-skillet dish made with a spicy tomato stew and poached eggs. On my quest to find the best Shakshuka, I found that every restaurant had its version of a good Shakshuka. And tbh, I liked pretty much allll of them in a way. Naturally, I am going to share different versions with you over time…because why not! But today I thought I’d start with the basic, authentic, most delicious one!

Pronounced “SHAk-shooo-kah”, the word comes from Arabic, meaning “all mixed up” or “shaken”. This dish is my egg favorite since 2019! .

I mean it’s eggs, it’s a high-protein, delicious, guilt-free meal! Paired with a good sourdough, you have yourself a post-workout meal! Also, eggs for dinner, you guys, make that a thing.

Ingredients

Eggs – Star of the dish. Use good-quality fresh large eggs.
Tomatoes – Another core element of this recipe. Choose ripe, juicy red tomatoes. As an alternative, you can use peeled canned tomatoes as well. I’ve made this recipe with tomato puree and finely chopped tomatoes. Both work excellently!
Seasoning – Salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander, and garlic.
Bell pepper and onions
Garnish – Simple parsley would do. To take it up a notch, spread out some feta cheese in the mix.

How to make Shakshuka

I’ve put together all the steps in a simple pictorial for you to see how easy this is to make.

Step 1: Add oil to a skillet. The prepping of this dish starts with chopped onions and garlic sautéed in that oil for 2 to 3 minutes.

diced bellpepper in golden brown onions in a pan.

Step 2: I like to take the onions to a slightly golden color, and then add chopped red bell peppers. Saute for a minute.

NOTE: The size of the bell pepper chunks is completely up to you. You can go as fine or as chunky as you like.

Step 3: Add tomato puree, spices, and seasonings to the skillet.

Step 4: Cover the skillet with a lid and let the tomatoes cook for 10 minutes or until most liquid evaporates.

shakshuka tomato base ready in a skillet.

Step 5: The tomato base is ready when most of the water has evaporated and you see some oil separation on the sides.

Step 6: Use a ladle to create 4 wells in the tomato base by pushing the tomato base aside. Break 4 eggs right into the wells. Cover the pan again.

NOTE: After oil separation, make sure the tomatoes are a little watery at this point and not too thick. You can add a little more water (about 1/4 cup) if you feel your tomato base has thickened too much.

Step 7: For a runny yolk, cook for 2 to 3 minutes. For well-cooked eggs, cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

shakshuka ready with garnish and feta cheese on top.

Step 8: Season eggs with salt and black pepper. Garnish with parsley and/or feta cheese chunks and serve.

Get your toast going, and serve your Shakshuka garnished with dill or parsley and feta cheese on top. I have had my Shakshuka with Labneh, and I tell you, that combination has blown me away!

Shakshuka served in skillet with chili oil and feta cheese on the side.

Top Tips

The shakshuka is served directly in the skillet it is cooked in. So remember to choose the “nice” skillet from the cabinet when you make it.
Always sprinkle salt and crushed black pepper on top of the eggs as well once they are done. Otherwise, the eggs might end up tasting bland.
The right consistency of the tomato base is like that of a curry. Use this as a benchmark to decide if you need to add more water or increase the heat, and reduce the water from the tomato base.

Variations

Add mushrooms to the Shakshuka base, it works so well!
You can increase your fibre intake by adding some veggies to the tomato base too, like carrots, celery, or green beans.
Top off the eggs with chili oil and crushed red chilis to up the heat.
Thyme and oregano are great options for aromatics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe in advance?

Oh yes! You can prep the tomato base days beforehand. The base can last for up to 5 days in the fridge. In fact, you can also freeze the tomato base if you like making bigger batches. Whenever you want a shakshuka, simply put the frozen tomato base into a skillet, once liquid, add your eggs, and you have shakshuka!

Can I reheat the cooked shakshuka?

You can add a splash of water and reheat the skillet on low heat. This recipe doesn’t refrigerate well once the eggs are cooked. So I’d recommend only adding eggs when you are ready to eat.

Is Shakshuka healthy?

I can tell you that Shakshuka is a nutritious, low-carb, high-protein food. It’s a great dish to add to your weekly rotations if you aren’t allergic to eggs.

Tangy Savory Oatmeal and Lentil bowl

March 14, 2019

This Tangy Savory Oatmeal and Lentil bowl is a product of desperation and necessity. For the life in me, I can’t have sweet oatmeal! I just can’t! If I am having sweet oats, it has to be cold and overnight. Cooked, warm sweet oatmeal just makes me gag. And is also the reason whyyy I thought healthy eating wasn’t for me and I just totally gave up on adding cooked oats in my diet. Instead, I stuck with Veggie Skewers and Spicy Moong Masoor dal

But like they say…necessity is the mother of invention…which came true for me in this case! Now I know Oats Haleem is a thing and I’ve had it. But I wanted something devoid of Animal Protein and still be filling. What started off as an experiment, has now become a regular part of our meal plans in the house. And has given birth to multiple different versions! This version is quite popular hence sharing this one first. This bowl of Lentil and oats uses Red lentils (masoor ki dal) and the tarmarind paste to make it tangy. The texture is pretty similar to that of haleem. Its full blown piece of South Asia in a bowl. The spice mix is also quite similar to that of khatti dal (tangy lentils)

A LITTLE STEP BY STEP WALKTHROUGH

So you probably know how Pakistanis and Indians make dal. We cook dal in spices and then top it off with aromatic spices fried in ghee/oil, which we like to call Tarka. In this particular recipe, we are going to prepare it in reverse. We are going to prepare the Tarka or Tempered Spice mix first and then cook the dal.

Start by adding oil, cumin seeds and mustard seeds and sliced onion in a large pot. Saute this at medium flame, till your onions start to turn translucent. Then add Chopped coriander and green chilies and fry the lot til everything turns golden brown.

I like to take out a table spoon of this fried onion herb mix to use later as a garnish and a crunchy topping to my lentil oats. (because you know….fried food feels :S)

Next, chuck in chopped tomatoes, garlic paste and all the spices (namely salt, turmeric, red chili powder and flakes) Give it a good stir and add in your red lentils and oats.

Add 5 cups of water, cover your pot and let the lentil oats cook at medium to high flame. It’ll take about 20 to 30 minutes.

(Also, since dal has a tendency to boil over, don’t cover the lid completely and leave the pot slightly open. You can also use instant pot or pressure cooker for this recipe)

After 30 minutes, your lentil oats will have a thick consistency. Whisk the whole mix a little bit to make sure it isn’t getting burnt on the sides.

Dissolve 1 tbsp of tamarind in about 1/2 cup of water. Add tamarind to the lentil oats and let it cook at low flame for another 10 mins. Adjust the spices and seasoning and you are done!

Serve garnished with the fried onion coriander or you know fry some extra onions to go on top (cz I would legit do that!) Jokes apart, I actually do top it off with chopped salad leaves and other salady things to give me crunch! Cz baby….crunch is important.

RECIPE ALTERATIONS

This recipe yields about 3 bowls or servings of Lentil Oats. Just reduce everything to half if you are skeptical about trying it for the first time.
Skip the red chili flakes and green chilies if you can’t handle heat.
Add a splash of water when you are reheating it the next day.
I absolutely loveeee the Tanginess from the Tamarind pulp, so I mostly go overboard with that….just saying

More Vegetarian Recipes

I love dals! Here are more recipes like this one:

Palak Raita – Spinach Yogurt Dip

March 7, 2019

This palak raita recipe comes as a delicious variation of the standard Pakistani/Indian raita. It’s an awesome sidekick to your spicy mains. And, works great as a no-guilt-dip for your nachos, papad, and everything crunchy! Takes 10 mins to make, and requires legit no expertise whatsoever!

Growing up, Spinach was one of my nemesis, we just didn’t get along much. Until one fine day, my mom made this beautiful Spinach Raita that I now loooooove and crave. I love pairing this raita with Pulao rice, and now that I am trying to eat healthier, I like to use it as a dip for almost every snack I have.

It’s the easiest, most South Asian thing to add to your menu. Plus not really spicy (unlike our other foods).

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How is Palak raita different from regular raita?

So the regular raita that you’ve probably seen served with Biryani or pulao is simply beaten yogurt with a couple of spices and vegetables sometimes. This spinach raita is a little more bougie since it has a layer of “Tarka” or tempered spices that sit on top of it. A tarka consists of several whole spices fried in oil and simply poured onto a dish ready to serve. Several Pakistani yogurt-based recipes use Tarka or “baghaar” to elevate the taste.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The ingredients for my palak raita are super basic, and you probably have them in your pantry right now.

Yogurt – Full-fat yogurt is ideal for any raita recipe for its rich taste. But feel free to substitute with low-fat options or even non-dairy options if that’s your thing.
Spinach – Most leafy spinach varieties can be used here. Just remove the stems if they are too thick. You can also use pre-frozen or blanched spinach for this recipe.
Oil – I love the flavor of olive oil with this recipe, although any neutral oil or ghee can be used.
Whole spices – Cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and whole dried red chilies. There aren’t any alternatives here, but you can use fresh green chilies instead if you are out of dried ones
Red chili powder – Use any red chili powder that you have, paprika will work too.
Garlic – Freshly chopped garlic works here. I’ve found the taste of garlic paste a little bitter for this recipe.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Variations

Make it Spicy – You can add more red chili powder or Thai green chilies to the Tarka to make your yogurt spicier!
Add vegetables – Try adding shredded zucchini or eggplant to the spinach to increase the nutritional value of the raita. Or really any other vegetable you like
Crunch – You can add brown fried onions on top of the raita to add a layer of crunch to it.
Finishing Spices – Add chat masala or a dash of hot sauce on top of the raita.

How to make Palak raita

The recipe is overall super simple. I’ve put together a pictorial to lay out the easy steps. It requires 3 simple things, beaten yogurt, cooked spinach, and finishing tarka.

STEP 1 – Beat yogurt and water to make a smooth base.

STEP 2 – In a skillet, add spinach and spices with a little oil and saute at medium heat.

STEP 3 – Saute for 2 to 3 mins or until all the water from the spinach has evaporated.

STEP 4 – Add the cooked spinach to your yogurt.

STEP 5- You can mix the spinach in, or leave it in little dollops.

STEP 6 – Prepare Tarka in the skillet by adding garlic, button red chili, cumin, and mustard seeds in oil.

preparing "tarka"or tempered spices for raita.

STEP 7 – Fry the spices until the garlic turns golden. Turn off the heat and add red chili powder.

STEP 8 – Immediately pour the Tarka on the yogurt and swirl around a little.

Serve the raita as in along with your mains or nachos. The sizzling sound that you get when the oil hits the yogurt, is what I live for people!! And you are done! It is THAT easy!

Expert Tips

Make sure to wash your spinach properly with water. The best way is to dunk it in a bowl of cold water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then pick up the leaves and you will see all the dirt settle on the bottom of the bowl. Now you can simply rinse the spinach and start chopping
Remove the stems of the spinach if they are too thick. And remove any wilted parts of the leaves.

Can I use pre-cooked spinach for this recipe?

Yes! You can use frozen, or blanched spinach for this recipe. Just saute it in the pan for 2 mins to warm it up and get rid of any excess moisture. Then add to your yogurt according to the recipe. If you are spinach is PRE-SEASONED, then hold on to the salt and only add at the end if you need to.

Every 2 cups of fresh spinach = 3 Tablespoon of blanched spinach

Can I make this dairy-free?

So the name “raita” means beaten yogurt by definition. But, if you are skipping dairy for health reasons, there are some things you can do. You can use silken tofu instead, which is just blended tofu and water. You can also attempt to make your yogurt using coconut milk and probiotics, although I haven’t attempted to make that.

How long can the palak raita last?

Any raita with tarka will last for about a week in the fridge easily, kept in an airtight container.

What can palak raita be paired with?

Keema bhara paratha
Aloo ka paratha
Use as a dip for pita bread, nachos, or papad.
Serve alongside roasted chicken like Lahori Chargha or Chicken Sajji

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Dynamite Shrimps Recipe

February 28, 2019

The fact that I even have a GO-TO Dynamite Shrimps recipe is going to come as a HEEEEEUUUUUUGEEE surprise to my parents. Because that would mean 2 things. First, that I have tried multiple recipes and have found my favorite. And secondly, it would mean that I like Shrimps so much, that I am experimenting with it! You see, growing up, I hated sea-food and I would give my mom a run for her money when it came to eating it. With the exception of her amazing Fried Fish, I would not go near it.

But all that changed after one fine day I went to P.F. Chang’s and discovered what TRULY TRULY deliciousness means. Their dynamite shrimps changed my world! And I have to say, since then, I have tried a bunch of different restaurants assuming that Dynamite shrimps are probably always good, but none compared to P.F. Chang’s.

So naturally, being a home-cook I had to try make it myself. Especially after the Crispy Beijing Beef at home was such a hit!

So, I tried practically 10 to 15 dynamite shrimp recipes that I could find when I googled it. But none of them even came close to the original dynamite shrimps! Some got the sauce right, some got the texture right, some got the flavor right. Which is when I decided, I have to make it myself. And so after adapting from numerous recipes, and finally tweaking it to such an extent that it no longer can be called an adaptation, I finally had a Dynamite shrimp recipe that I was proud of.

Needless to stay, Shrimp night at home, is now a pretty regular deal!

MAKING THE DYNAMITE SHRIMPS

So as all my recipes go, this one is also broken down into 2 simple steps. Marinating and Dredging, Frying and Assembling. Here’s a quick to follow guide for you to visually see the recipe, and of course, a recipe card at the end of it.

STEP 1 – MARINATING AND DREDGING

You start with peeling and de-veining the shrimps, which, if I am being honest, is the worst part of cooking prawns. If this is the first time you are making shrimps at home, just buy the frozen ones which are already cleaned. Or if you need help, click here to see a quick shrimp cleaning video.

Moving on, so once you’ve cleaned them, marinate the shrimps. Our marination consists of Sriracha, an egg, a little salt and pepper, a little vinegar, and some cornflour and all purpose flour, and lastly a little bit of ice cold water. Ideally the marination should last overnight. But lets say you are short on time, give it at least 2 to 3 hours

The next part is, coating the prawns in a dredging mixture. Its a simple mixture of corn flour, all purpose flour, some seasoning and garlic powder. Prepare your dredging mixture in a bowl and line a tray or plate with cling wrap. Alternatively, you can also dust a tray with a little bit of dredging mixture (This will prevent your prawns from sticking to the tray).

dynamite prawns recipe — Before Covering with cloth

Just coat the prawns lightly with the dredging mixture and keep collecting them on the tray. Now here’s the smart move. Cover your prawns with damp cloth for a bit (about 10 to 15 mins). This will allow your prawns to form a uniform coating and you will see after a while, that all flour particles have been absorbed to form a smooth coat.

HEADS UP: So the dredging mixes are always made in an excess to how much you actually need. So even after all the shrimps are coated, some of the dredging mixture will be left. I usually just seal such mixes in a zip-lock back and use it the next time I am either crumb coating food or hey, making prawns again.

STEP 2 – FRYING AND ASSEMBLING

Now fry these bad boys in a deep fryer for about 10 to 15 mins. (The coating takes a little longer to turn crispy golden in color) If you plan to fry them later, you can freeze the tray for 30 minutes or so and once your shrimps have frozen, you can collect them in a zip-lock bag.

While your shrimp fry in the corner, prepare the amazing dynamite sauce! It’s a simple sauce using Mayo, Sriracha, Honey and Salt. I also add a little bit of orange food color to give it that shade similar to Pf Chang’s.

Once fried, toss the hot shrimps in the bowl of sauce and coat the shrimps evenly with sauce and serve!! (p.s. I didn’t cover my prawns in the picture to show you all the elements, but rest assured, I had them fully covered in sauce when I ate them)

Also, covering the prawns in sauce while they are hot is the best thing to do. The sauce will get absorbed by the crunchy coating and reach that oh-sweet spot of the perfect semi-crunch texture …that we die for in PF Chang’s!

More Pan Asian Recipes

How to make Crispy Beijing Beef at home

February 21, 2019

As far as history goes, Crispy Beijing Beef seems to be pioneered by Panda Express. Although I’ve had it at multiple Chinese/Asian restaurants so far, the dish itself seems to originate from Panda express. It involves cornstarch coated beef, fried until crispy, mixed with bell peppers, and coated in a sauce to serve. It has a pre-dominantly garlicky, spicy sourish taste. Like other classic Chinese dishes on the blog, namely, the dragon chicken, chicken chow mein or Asian meatballs, this is also a crowd pleaser and if you are planning an Asian Menu for your next party, Crispy Beef should definitely be on your list!

Lets dig right into the basic steps of the recipe.

STEP 1 – PREPPING THE BEEF STRIPS

The first step is going to be to cut the beef steak into thin strips and marinate it into a mixture of salt, pepper, lemon juice, cornflour, all purpose flour and ice cold water. Ideally, any stir fried beef recipe calls for beef flank steak cuts which are either used for steaks or are also known as undercut beef cut.

Keep the marinated beef for half an hour or so and fry at high flame until they turn golden brown. Remove the beef from the oil and set aside.

STEP 2 – STIR FRYING BELL PEPPERS

Next up are the bell peppers. Some versions of this recipe also add sliced onions in their recipe, but I prefer just the colorful bell-peppers for my version. Simply stir fry the bell peppers at high flame in a little oil. I love using assorted colorful bell peppers, but by all means, use whichever ones you have at hand. Set the veggies aside with the beef and proceed with the last step.

STEP 3 – PREPARING THE SAUCE AND ASSEMBLING

In a cup or a bowl, add all the sauces (listed in the recipe card below) and mix them well so that they form a nice homogeneous mixture. Set this sauce aside and get back to the wok.

Add a little oil in the wok (I am not using a cast iron pan). I personally like using Chili Oil for this step and for stir frying bell peppers as well. Alternatively, you can use regular oil too, if you don’t have any chili oil at hand.

The garlic needs to be sauteed and turned golden brown. Once the garlic turns golden brown, add the sauce mixture and let it cook for a good 4 to 5 minutes. This is a good time to taste the sauce and check if you want to adjust the salt levels.

The beef needs to stay a little crispy so make sure your wok and sauce are bubbling hot when you add the veggies and beef in it. Once you add the beef, don’t cook for a longer duration. Just give it a good saute for 2 to 3 minutes and dish it out.

RECIPE ALTERATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

If you don’t have beef steak in the house, we can also tweak the recipe to use any boneless beef you have at hand. Remove the bone from the beef, cut the beef into strips. And boil the beef strips in water for 30 to 40 minutes along with a little bit of salt, pepper and garlic ginger paste. Proceed with the all the steps as listed above in the same way.

How to make quick & easy chicken chow mein noodles

February 14, 2019

This Chicken chow-mein noodles recipe is the easy breezy dinner option you were looking for! “Chow mein” is Mandarin for “stir fried noodles”. And they are pretty much a must in any Chinese/Asian restaurant you visit. There are a bunch of different noodle varieties that China has to offer, but this one by far, is the most commonly eaten, widely known and unanimously loved among the masses. (or is it just our family?)

The best thing about Chow mein is its flexibility. There are no hard and fast rules here. Be as adventurous as you want with this recipe and make any substitution with the veggies that you want. My family lovessss a good Asian cashew salad and chicken chow mein for dinner.

how to make easy chicken chowmein noodles

LET’S BEGIN!

Here is my rendition of this world famous Asian food. It hardly takes half an hour to whip up. Chicken chow mein noodles or any other chow mein for that matter, go so well when you are trying to create a multi-cultural dinner or a dinner-party menu, and they work just as well for school lunch boxes!

BASIC STEPS TO MAKE CHICKEN CHOW MEIN

If I may, this is a pretty straight forward beginner-level kind of a recipe. If you know how to use a knife and turn on the flame, you can make this dish.

PAR-BOILING THE NOODLES

Ideally, Chow mein is made with Egg noodles, but you can substitute it with spaghetti, Fettuccine or linguine pastas as well.

The firs thing on the agenda is to boil the noodles. For chow mein, you don’t boil the noodles completely because the final part of the cooking is going to be done while stir-frying the noodles.

Follow the instructions on your packet and boil the noodles in water with a little bit of salt. Check to see when your noodles can break by your fingers. When you are able to break them with your fingers, that’s your cue to turn off the stove and strain the noodles.

Wash the noodles with cold water. Then drizzle a little bit of oil all over your noodles to prevent them from drying out and clumping together.

Set the noodles aside and begin stir-frying.

STIR-FRYING THE INGREDIENTS

Toss the chicken chunks in a wok or a non stick-pan ( damn I need to buy a wok ) on medium flame along with a little oil and garlic paste. Feel free to use chopped garlic as well

Add red chili flakes and salt and allow the chicken to dry up completely before adding anything else.

Once the water dries up, chuck in all your sliced vegetables. I added sliced bell peppers, green onion roots and carrots. But I generally like to add a cup of shredded cabbage as well. Feel free to mix it up and add any vegetable that you and your family enjoy. (Also, I like to see Chow mein as an opportunity whenever I am cleaning up my fridge and need to utilize all the vegetables in it…just saying)

Add another 2 to 3 tbsps of oil and stir fry the veggies as well. I like to add a li’l salt at this point so that the veggies can get rid of all the water they are going to leach out eventually.

Make sure you are stir-frying at high flame because at low flame the veggies will become soft and soggy, and you wont get that crunchy element in your Chow mein.

Don’t turn off the flame, instead add more oil and the par boiled noodles in the pan.

how to make easy chicken chowmein noodles steps

Stir-fry the noodles for a good 3 to 4 minutes. After this, add vinegar, hot sauce, soy sauce and oyster sauce. And stir fry to another 3 to 4 minutes. If you like crispier chow mein, then by all, means stir fry for an additional 5 minute interval with a little more oil added to it.

Once you are happy with the texture of your noodles, do a final taste test and adjust the salt chili level.

Plate it up and garnish with some chopped green onions.

RE-HEATING HACK FOR CHOW MEIN

Since chow mein is a dry noodle variety, re-heating it in a microwave can dry out the noodles even more. Here are 2 hacks you can use to keep your chow mein from drying out:

1. IN A MICROWAVE

While heating your noodles in a microwave, plate out your noodles in a plate in the form of a donut (keep the center of the plate empty). Keep a cup of water in the center of the plate and heat your noodles up. You will get evenly heated Chow mein without drying it out.

2. IN A WOK

Add 1/4 cup of water in a wok at high flame. When the water starts to boil, add the cold Chow mein and stir-fry it for 3 to 4 minutes. Your Chow mein would be heated up to perfection without any loss of taste or drying out.

RECIPE ALTERATIONS.

Use any vegetable of your liking to add to the noodles.
Use chili oil instead of regular oil to bring more flavor and color to your Chow mein.
Skip hot sauce, if you aren’t someone who can handle a lot of spice.

If you liked this, feel free to browse other Chinese/Asian recipes on the blog!

More Pan Asian Recipes

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6 RECIPES TO TRY IN RAMADAN 2019

1.Chili Parm Chicken Nuggets.

2. Sweet and Sour Veggie Sticks

3. Sweet Mayo Vegetable Sandwiches

4. Tangy Lentil Oats Bowl

5. Chicken Tikka Open Sandwiches

6. Chicken and Oats Kebabs

STEPS TO MAKING THE BEST HANDI

Disclaimer: The green chilies I used were the big ones that we often use in Chicken Karhai. So they weren’t very strong. If you opt for using smaller more stronger green chilies, reduce the number of green chilies by half.

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LET’S BEGIN!

BASIC STEPS TO MAKE CHICKEN CHOW MEIN

PAR-BOILING THE NOODLES