Chowmein

Hi Everyone

This time I tried chowmein very religiously to get the dark brown color in soya sauce and yippie I got it .

Ingredients
1/2 packs chow mein noodles
3 Tbs oil, as needed
2 tsp garlic, finely minced
1 carrot, shredded, cut about 2-in long
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tbsp Ajinomoto
2 tsp chili garlic sauce, to taste
3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs water, as needed, to balance the saltiness of the soy sauce
1 cup shitake mushrooms, cubed
1 small yellow onion, cut in small wedges
1 tsp black peppercorns, freshly ground, to taste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Process
Fill a big pot with water. Bring to a boil. Place the noodles in the boiling water , return the water to a boil then lower the temperature to a medium low. That way the pasta is cooked all the way through evenly. Salt the water half way through the cooking process (it will bring out the natural flavor of the pasta and the noodles will be softer) and keep stirring every now and then so that the noodles do not stick to the bottom. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. When the pasta is cooked (tender but still in shape and firm), drizzle about 1 tablespoon of canola oil, then drain the noodles. Discard the liquid. Set aside.

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a wok. When the oil is hot ready, add a teaspoon of garlic. As the garlic becomes slightly golden, stir-fry the shredded carrots for about 2 minutes. When the color is translucent, season with 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Add the onion wedges and cook for another minute. Transfer to a plate. Set aside.

In the same wok, place the cooked noodles. Cut them if necessary with kitchen shears. Add all the vegetables, , chili garlic sauce, soy sauce and water. Stir constantly. Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add ajinomoto and black pepper.

Sprinkle some fresh cilantro. Drizzle with sesame oil.