Noodle & Beef Chow Mein

Our deliciously simple old school noodle & beef chow mein recipe is packed full of cabbage, carrot, beef mince, curry powder and noodles - a classic family favourite.

5 from 41 votes

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings: serves

Calories: 500kcal

Author: Lucy - Bake Play Smile

Equipment

Stove-top or Thermomix

Ingredients

2 tbs oil
500 g beef mince
1 brown onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbs ginger finely minced
2 tsp curry powder more or less depending on your taste preferences
2 carrots finely chopped
½ cabbage shredded
250 ml water
1 tsp vegetable stock powder
⅓ cup oyster sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
350 g Singapore noodles or thin hokkien noodles

Instructions

Conventional Method

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the beef mince and chopped onion.
Saute until the mince has browned and the onion has softened (approx 5 minutes).
Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook until fragrant (approx 1-2 minutes).
Add the carrots, cabbage, water, vegetable stock powder, oyster sauce and soy sauce and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the noodles according to the packet instructions.
Drain noodles and add to the chow mein.
Stir to combine and cook for a further 1 minute.
Serve with extra soy sauce, sesame seeds or chopped peanuts.

Thermomix Method

Place the garlic and brown onion into the TM bowl and chop on Speed 6 for 5 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the carrot and chop by pressing Turbo 4-5 times (or until it's the chunkiness you desire).
Add the minced ginger and the oil. Saute on Varoma, Reverse Speed 2 for 4 minutes.
Add the beef mince and cook on Varoma, Reverse Speed 2 for 4 minutes.
Add the curry powder, vegetable stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce and the cabbage to the bowl. Cook on 100 degrees, Reverse Speed 1 for 4 minutes (you'll need to use the spatula to push the cabbage down).
Meanwhile place the noodles into the ThermoServer and cover with boiling water (time will be specified on the packet).
Drain the noodles and add to the TM bowl. Mix on Reverse Speed 2 for 1 minute (using the spatula to help mix everything together).
Place into the ThermoServer and leave for 10-15 minutes to thicken.
Serve with a little extra soy sauce, sesame seeds or chopped peanuts.

Notes

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

Ingredients Info:

minced garlic and ginger – you can mince your own fresh garlic cloves and ginger or you can use store-bought jars of pre-minced (which is what I do!)
brown onion – medium sized and finely chopped
beef mince – I generally use lean beef mince, however you can use any beef mince you have available. Alternatively, you can substitute the beef mince for chicken, pork or lamb mince. Alternatively you can use sliced chicken breasts instead.
curry powder – I use Keens brand but any store-bought curry powder is fine. 2 tsp of curry powder (as per the recipe) will give you a very mild tasting chow mein (this is the amount I use when I cook this recipe for my family including my young son). If you want a stronger flavour, then simply add an extra teaspoon of curry powder.
cabbage – use finely sliced white or green cabbage for this recipe. It might seem like you’re adding a LOT of cabbage to the frying pan, but it cooks down to virtually nothing! Even if you’re not a fan of cabbage, make sure you include it in this recipe… you can’t taste it once cooked as it takes on the flavour of the sweet oyster and soy sauces.
noodles – I generally use thin hokkien noodles, but you can also use Singapore noodles, 2 minute instant noodles or even spaghetti broken into pieces
liquid vegetable stock – use store-bought liquid vegetable stock or make your own using water and vegetable stock powder
oyster sauce – this can be bought from the Asian section of any amor supermarket
soy sauce – you can use light or dark soy sauce for this recipe

Extra Recipe Tips:

Thickening the sauce – if you’d like to thicken your chow mein sauce even further, dissolve 1 tbs of cornflour with ¼ cup of water and mix through during the last minute of cooking.

Serving suggestions – Serve chow mein with extra soy sauce, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds (optional).

Storing & freezing - Chow mein can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Alternatively, it can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition