Name: Kolkata Chow Mein
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 spring onions (scallions), sliced diagonally; 1 tbsp oil; 80 g (2¾ oz) Chinese cabbage or white cabbage, finely shredded; 300 g (10½ oz) silken tofu; ¼ tsp MSG; 2 tbsp gram flour; 325 g (11½ oz) egg-free chow mein noodles; 2 tbsp oil; 2 large garlic cloves, minced; 60 g (2 oz/⅓ cup) beansprouts; ¼ tsp ground white pepper; ⅓ tsp black salt; 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks; 60 ml (2 fl oz/4 tbsp) vegetarian oyster sauce; ¼ tsp salt; 2 green chillies, sliced; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar; 2 tsp oil; ½ tsp Garam Masala; ½ tsp ground turmeric

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
35 min

Appears in

Sanjana Feasts

By Sanjana Modha

Published 2024

About

A vegan take on Kolkata’s treasured street-style noodles, complete with the customary scrambled ‘egg’, which I make with silken tofu. My recipe for Desi-style noodles has remained the same for years and puts any leftover veg to good use. It’s a dish you can count on when the contents of your fridge look sparse and you’re short of time.

Ingredients

For the noodles

325 g (11½ oz) egg-free chow mein noodles
½ tsp ground

Method

Parboil the noodles in plenty of water with the ground turmeric, until 80 per cent cooked. They should be quite al dente. Drain the noodles in a colander, refresh under cold, running water, drain again and then transfer to a bowl. Add the oil, soy sauce and half of the spring onions (scallions). Toss well.
To make the scrambled ‘egg’, heat the oil in a wok. Add