Egg noodles recipe(chinese hakka style) or egg chow mein recipe step by step – egg noodles or egg chow mein is the most popular delicious street food in India made in the Chinese hakka style method. Egg noodles is stir-fried noodles prepared with egg, fresh veggies, a few Chinese sauces & seasoning. These fried noodles are known as egg chow mein. It is easy to make at home, just by tossing or stir-frying the noodles(obviously boiled) with scrambled eggs, onion, ginger-garlic, bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, soya sauce, red & green chilli sauce and pepper & salt. Ingredients are very simple and easily available around. Except for one condition, noodles must be fine or thin for making the taste best, however no matter the noodles is made with rice, flour or wheat. Though due to kids demand, if you often make it at home then wheat noodles must be the most healthy option.

top clicked image of chinese hakka style egg noodles or egg chow mein served with chilli fish in a white bowl

Why do I address these egg noodles as the egg chow mein?

I address these egg noodles as the egg chow mein. You must be thinking, why? Because in Chinese, the term chow mein means fried noodles as Chow means fried & Mein denotes noodles. That stir-frying method is the most popular cooking style of Chinese Hakka cuisine. And in India, noodles are generally made by tossing or stir-frying in oil, that is why these stir-fried noodles are also called hakka noodles. This means, in India, egg noodles and egg chow mein are the same preparation of noodles with different names.

About egg noodles or egg chow mein

Generally, these egg noodles aka egg chow mein is not an authentic Chinese dish, this recipe is basically a creation of Indo-Chinese cuisine. As in original Chinese cuisine, noodles are not fried but rather cooked or boiled in soups with vegetables, eggs or meat.

Though originally noodles is a Chinese staple food, however, fried noodles are only served in Chinese cuisine followed by Hakka(stir-frying) style cooking. However, in India, noodles fried version is much popular among people whether it is served on the street or at home. Such as these noodles or chow mein is also made by tossing or stir-frying in oil with other ingredients.

These fried egg noodles aka egg chow mein are nothing but stir-fried vegetable noodles tossed with scrambled eggs. Tossing or stir-frying all the ingredients until perfectly mixed with each other. Use any vegetable as per your choice. Only the quantity of sauces and seasoning may differ. However, perfect frying or tossing is one more important criterion to get that exact street style or restaurant-style taste.

Including these noodles, for making all kinds of noodles or chow mein recipes, the perfect boiling of noodles is a crucial task. As overcooked noodles get mushy and spoil the taste of this dish. Whereas undercooked noodles also spoil the dish including hard to digest.
In Indian streets, these fried eggs mixed noodles aka chow mein are served as a whole meal. So no accompaniment needs except tomato ketchup.
But if this dish is served at dinner, then any Chinese-style gravy would be best to serve as its sides. Such as in Indo-Chinese restaurants, egg noodles are mostly served with any Chinese-style veg or non-veg gravy. Even in food courts, it serves as a combined meal with gravy-based recipes like chilli chicken/ chilli fish/ chicken Manchurian/ chicken in chilli garlic sauce.

Generally, Hakka or stir-fried noodles are made in a wok(a deep fry pan used in Chinese cuisine for tossing). So as in roadside Chinese street food stalls to authentic Chinese restaurants for making egg noodles(stir-fried) or egg chow mein wok is must use. It mainly helps the food to easily get mix up with sauces and all other ingredients. As a wok is not available at home make it in a regular pan. Like an iron or aluminium pan or in a non-stick pan. However, don’t use a steel pan or iron cast pan to avoid sticking noodles to their bottom.

This fried egg noodles or egg chow mein is ideal for quick evening snacks or kids tiffin. However, you can try at dinner with sides like Chilli Chicken, Chilli Prawns recipes. Try this recipe at home and please write down your valuable feedback in my comment section below.

Tricks used in this recipe

For making this egg noodles or egg chow mein recipe, I have used chilli garlic oil. Actually, chilli garlic oil adds more flavour to any Chinese food. Basically in authentic Chinese cuisine chilli garlic oil is used in making their stir-fried recipes. Even Chinese restaurants also use chilli garlic oil. Though that is not mandatory, you can skip this step and simply cook it with vegetable oil too. However, for your convenience, I described its method through this recipe.
Instead of using plain onion and garlic, I’ve prepared this dish with spring onion and garlic leaves(as used in authentic Chinese restaurants). Though you may use chopped onion or chopped garlic too. As spring onions are easily available in the local markets or nearby shopping stores.
Generally, I mix up the noodles with oil(a method used in street-side stalls) after boiling to keep them separate from each other. However this time I toss the noodles in a pan with little oil. This tossing method is most used in Indo-Chinese restaurants. This is how the noodles can not be mushy and get a good taste as well.
All vegetables should be nicely stir-fried in oil(especially cabbage) before mixing up with the noodles. Otherwise, the raw smell of vegetables(especially from cabbage, bell pepper, spring onion/plain onion and chopped garlic leaves/plain garlic) can spoil the taste of this dish.
Generally, I used the sauces(soy sauce, green chilli sauce & red chilli sauce) just after stir-frying the vegetables, then mixed it up with noodles and other ingredients. But here before adding the sauces first I mix up the noodles with vegetables, then add the sauces mixture(described in the recipe) and nicely mix it up, then add fried scrambled eggs with noodles and vegetables then stir fry. Though in both ways taste will be same.

How to make egg noodles recipe with step-by-step pictures

Instructions

How to boil noodles

To boil the noodles, take a wide vessel, half-filled it up with water, place it on high heat. Add 1 tsp of salt and a tsp of vegetable oil into the water. Let the water starts boiling.

adding salt and oil in water for boiling the noodles

Add noodles into the boiling water, let it cook, check it frequently, do not keep it unattended at this moment. Cook it al dante, means when noddles get cooked but firm rather soft. In short, when easily cut it with fingertips not mashed. As shown in the pics. Don’t over cook it.

step by step method of making perfect boiled noodles until al dente

Immediately strain the noodles and wash them thoroughly under running water to get rid of the starch that comes with noodles. Then keep it in a wide strainer or in a perforated bowl to remove the excess water.

noodles after straining and throughly washed noodles with water

How to Make chilli garlic oil for this recipe

For making chilli garlic oil, place a pan on medium heat. Once it gets hot, add 1/2 cup of vegetable oil to the pan. Add 10-12 garlic cloves(sliced lengthwise) and 6 red chillies(chopped). Fry until garlic and chilli get brown in colour and fried chilli-garlic aroma comes out from the oil.
Then strain the oil and remove the fried garlic and chilli from it. Chilli garlic oil is ready, keep it aside for further use.

Making chilli garlic oil must used ingredient in chinese hakka style noodles

How to toss or stir-fry noodles in oil

For tossing or stir-frying the noodles, first, take the same pan used in making chilli garlic oil, make it hot with 2 & 1/2 tbsp of chilli garlic oil, then toss or stir fry the boiled noodles in it for 1-2 mins. Remove it from the pan and keep it aside for later use. This method will help to keep the noodle separated from each other.

step by step method of tossing the boiled noodles in oil to prevent noodles from stick to each other

How to make fried scrambled eggs for this recipe

For making scrambled eggs, take a mixing bowl, pour 3 eggs in it, mix it with 1/2 tsp of salt and half a tsp of pepper(black or white pepper). Beat it nicely for a min to get it fluffy.
Then take the same pan(used in tossing noodles), add 4 tbsp vegetable oil to it, add the well-beaten egg to the oil.
Once the egg is almost fried from one side then scramble the eggs into many pieces. Remove it from the pan. Keep it aside for further use.

step by step method of making of scrambled eggs for using in this noodles recipe

Making of egg noodles

For preparing this recipe, first, place the pan(same pan) on a high flame. As Chinese hakka style method, food is stir-frying on high flame. Add 3 tbsp of chilli garlic oil to the pan, heat it up, first add 2 tbsp chopped spring onion(or finely chopped plain onion) and 1 tsp chopped garlic leaves(finely chopped plain garlic) to the pan. Stir fry it for 30 secs.
Then add the shredded or grated cabbage to the oil. Give it a good stir, fry it for a few seconds(around 30-45 secs), then add green bell pepper(fine strips) as shown in the pics, stir or toss it in oil. Then add the carrot(cut into julienne or fine strips) and stir it well.

step by step method of stir frying the veggies in oil for making this noodles recipe

Lastly, add the noodles (earlier tossed in oil) to the pan, give it a good stir with two spatulas or a fork and a spatula or toss the noodle by shaking the pan.

Once the noodles are perfectly mixed up with the vegetables, then pour the sauce mix(made with 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp red chilli sauce, 2 tsp green chilli sauce) with it. Though you can use less/more amount of green chilli sauce as per your spice level. Nicely mix up the sauce with the noodles and vegetables then add the fried scrambled egg to the pan. Again mix it up with noodles and the rest of the ingredients.

step by step method of stir frying the noodles with chinese sauce and eggs

Then add the pepper powder(black pepper or white pepper) and salt. Mix it well with all the ingredients and nicely stir fry it. When the aroma starts coming from the food then add a handful of chopped spring onion and chopped garlic leaves(if available, otherwise skip it) with the noodle, mix it well, fry for few secs. Then turn off the heat.

frying egg noodles or egg chow mein with salt, pepper, spring onion and green garlic leaves

Our Chinese hakka style egg noodles or egg chow mien is ready. Serve these hot noodles with any Chinese style veg or non-veg gravy.

chinese hakka style fried egg noodles or egg chow mein is ready

Notes

Though I add the sauce mix after adding the noodle to the pan, however, you can do the opposite thing. You can first pour the sauce mix in the pan, mixed it up with the vegetables then add the noodles and toss or stir fry it with the eggs and rest of the ingredients.
If a wok or non-stick pan is not available at home then take the aluminium or iron pan. Keep it on high flame, make it smokey hot, add oil, make it smokey hot too. Then only noodles or any ingredients never stick to the pan. But in this stage, continuous stirring is required as if it is unattended, then the food can easily get burnt.
Though spring onion is easily available in nearby stores or markets. However, garlic leaves(grown in my kitchen garden) are difficult to arrange, though instead of it plain garlic can be used.
Lastly, I used chopped garlic leaves, which is not mandatory, just skip this step. Only chopped spring onion is enough.
Here I have used ching’s hakka noodles, you can use any other brands hakka noodle too. Though try to use quite thin noodles as that is best at the taste.
Even you can try this recipe with maggie, flat noodle, vermicelli or spaghetti too.
Generally, noodles can not be spicy, except for adding schezwan sauce. But this is my simple egg noodles recipe so I have not added any extra spices without using the sauce(red & green chilli sauce) and seasoning(means pepper). However, as per your taste, you can make it a little spicy.

Egg noodles recipe (Chinese Hakka style) | Egg chow mein recipe

Recipe by Moumita PaulCourse: Main courseCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

351

kcal

Egg noodles or egg chow mein is delicious stir-fried noodles prepared with egg, fresh veggies, a few Chinese sauces & seasoning. It is the most popular street food in India prepared in Chinese hakka style method known as egg chow mein too. Made just by tossing or stir-frying the noodles(obviously boiled) in oil with scrambled eggs, fresh vegetables like onion, ginger-garlic, bell pepper, carrot & cabbage, Chinese sauces like soy sauce, red & green chilli sauce and seasonings like pepper & salt.