{"id":28781,"date":"2023-11-03T07:39:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-03T07:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redhousespice.com\/?p=28781"},"modified":"2023-11-03T07:33:46","modified_gmt":"2023-11-03T07:33:46","slug":"chow-mei-fun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redhousespice.com\/chow-mei-fun\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy Chow Mei Fun"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A quick stir-fry featuring springy noodles, tender chicken, and crunchy vegetables, this chow mei fun recipe takes little effort to cook but is so satisfying to eat.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mei Fun\/米粉 vs Ho Fun\/河粉<\/td>	Both of them are rice noodles and come in both dried and fresh forms. Mei Fun has thin, round strands (one of its varieties is also known as Mi Xian, like in Yunnan Rice Noodle Soup<\/a>), while Ho Fun refers to wide, flat noodles that are found in the popular Beef Ho Fun<\/a> (aka beef chow fun)<\/td><\/tr>
Mei Fun\/米粉 vs Mein\/面<\/td>	Mei Fun is made of rice, hence gluten-free, whereas Mein refers to wheat flour-based noodles. Both Chow Mein<\/a> and Lo Mein call for the latter.<\/td><\/tr>
Mei Fun\/米粉 vs Fen Si\/粉丝<\/td>	Mei fun and Fen Si look very similar when uncooked, but the latter is made of mung bean starch and becomes more translucent after cooking (see the recipe for Glass Noodle Salad<\/a>).<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Vegetarian\/vegan variations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n To adapt this dish to a vegetarian or vegan diet, replace chicken with eggs or smoked\/five-spice tofu. Follow the technique found in Tomato & Egg Stir-Fry<\/a> to scramble the eggs. Smoked\/five-spice tofu can be added with the vegetables.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \n Cooking procedure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n To make chicken mei fun, you can use either a wok or a large skillet\/ sauté pan to stir-fry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 1: Marinate the chicken<\/h3>\n\n\n\n To ensure the tenderness of the chicken, it’s best to marinate it before cooking. This is particularly important when using breasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n $\"cutting$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n First, cut it into thin slices. Then mix them with cornstarch, Shaoxing rice wine<\/a>, and a little salt. Once everything is evenly distributed and the liquid is fully absorbed by the chicken, coat with a thin layer of cooking oil to help lock in the moisture. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \n Step 2: Soak the noodles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n $\"soak$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n While waiting for the chicken to marinate, prepare the dried mei fun noodles by soaking them in hot water (just boiled). After 2 minutes, drain the noodles then cut them shorter with scissors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 🌟 TIP:<\/strong> Since the noodles will be cooked further in later steps, it’s important not to oversoak them at this stage. Otherwise, they may become sticky and sloppy, losing their pleasantly springy texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 3: Mix the sauce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n When making a quick stir-fry, it’s always a good idea to measure and mix seasonings before cooking starts. This reduces your chance of burning food in a hot wok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n $\"mixing$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n In a small bowl, mix light soy sauce, dark soy sauce<\/a>, oyster sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil. Set aside.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \n Step 4: Sear the chicken<\/h3>\n\n\n\n As I explained in the recipe for Chicken Chop Suey<\/a>, the meat needs to be seared separately and then added to other ingredients at the end. This technique prevents the chicken from being overcooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n $\"searing$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n Start by heating an empty wok\/skillet until smoking hot, then add cooking oil and swirl it to cover a larger area (Note:<\/strong> if using non-stick cookware, add the oil first, then heat up). Put the chicken pieces in a single layer. Sear them over medium-high heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do not rush to touch the chicken. Once the bottom side browns slightly, flip and toss to sear further until the pieces lose the pink color all around. Dish out to a plate for later use.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \n Step 5: combine the dish<\/h3>\n\n\n\n $\"sizzling$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n Pour a little more oil into the vacant wok. Add the white part of the scallions and minced garlic. Sizzle them for about 20 seconds, then put in the drained noodles. Loosen the strands with chopsticks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n $\"bean$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n Turn the heat up to high. Add bell pepper, mushrooms, and bean sprouts. Stir and toss constantly until the mushrooms just start to wilt (the pepper and bean sprouts are still crunchy).<\/p>\n\n\n\n $\"adding$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n Return the seared chicken to the wok. Pour in the sauce mixture. Add the green part of the scallions. Stir-fry for a further 1 minute or so, then dish out and serve warm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \n $\"a$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n Serving ideas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n To add an extra kick to your homemade chow mei fun, drizzle Chinese Chili Oil <\/a>over, stir in some Chili Garlic Sauce<\/a>, or add other hot sauce of your choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can eat this quick and easy noodle dish any time of the day, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner. How about you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, I like serving it as a sharing side dish for dinner parties. It disappears quickly, just like the forever popular Egg Fried Rice<\/a> and Soy Sauce Noodles<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \n $\"chow$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n Recipe FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Q: How do I make this dish gluten-free?<\/strong> A: To adapt it to a gluten-free diet, replace Shaoxing rice wine with dry sherry or water, substitute light and dark soy sauce with gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, and use vegetarian oyster flavored sauce instead of regular oyster sauce.<\/p> <\/div> Q: My chicken tends to stick to my carbon steel wok. How to avoid it?<\/strong> A: As I explain in my Wok Guide<\/a>, you need to heat the empty wok first until it’s smoking hot, then add oil followed by the meat. This technique helps to create a non-stick effect. Do not tempt to flip\/move the chicken until the surface touching the hot wok is properly seared. Also, check out how to properly season and maintain carbon steel woks<\/a> if you’re unsure.<\/p> <\/div> Q: When stir-frying, my noodles often become sticky and gluey. Why?<\/strong> A: This can occur due to two factors: over-soaking the rice noodles for an extended period before stir-frying, or prolonging the stir-frying process beyond the recommended time.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \n Other easy all-in-one meals<\/h2>\n\n\n <\/innerblocks><\/header> $\"Steamed$ <\/a><\/div> One-pot Hainanese Chicken Rice<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article> $\"A$ <\/a><\/div> Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup (鸡汤面)<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article> $\"Chinese$ <\/a><\/div> Chinese Sausage Rice (腊肠饭)<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article> $\"A$ <\/a><\/div> Egg Fried Rice Noodles (鸡蛋炒米粉)<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n 📋 Recipe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Love this recipe? Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and a comment<\/a>. Thank you!<\/p>\n\n\n <\/div> \n\t $\"a$ <\/div>\n\t \n\t\t

Cooking procedure<\/h2>\n\n\n\nTo make chicken mei fun, you can use either a wok or a large skillet\/ sauté pan to stir-fry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooking procedure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To make chicken mei fun, you can use either a wok or a large skillet\/ sauté pan to stir-fry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n