Chicken chow mein recipe Bengali aka Kolkata chowmein is the most scrumptious and beloved street food of Kolkata. In this preparation, crispy and flavoured chicken pieces are stir-fried with boiled noodles, veggies in some specific sauces and spices. There is no fixed timing to have this tempting delight, but it is mostly served as an evening snack. Chow mein kolkata is considered one of the most served Bengali snack recipe during Durga puja. Durga puja without grabbing a plate of freshly prepared piping hot chow mein in hand and chit chat with friends is incomplete.
Chicken chow mein recipe Bengali is crazily popular among Bengalis and is sold in almost every corner of Bengal in the carts and stalls by street food vendors. It is also one of the most frequently served Bengali snack recipe by the popular restaurants and hotels in Bengal. Kolkata chowmein is popular because of its unique taste and flavours which invite people to have it repeatedly. This Kolkata chicken chow mein recipe is way different from classic chicken chow mein which you will get in authentic Chinese restaurants.
Bengalis are born foodies and they love to eat different ranges of food. So, Bengal is also considered as one of the paradises of street food. There are myriad chop recipes, rolls, cutlets, pakodas that are prepared on every street corner of Bengal by vendors, line hotels and restaurants.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Kolkata chowmein (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
Types of chow mein in Kolkata
There are different varieties of chow mein recipes that are prepared in Bengal. Other than this chicken chow mein, mixed chow mein, egg chicken chow mein, egg chow mein, veg chow mein are a few equally popular names for chow mein in the city.
Whenever I talk about chicken chow mein recipe Bengali, it always makes me feel nostalgic. It always reminds me of my hometown and my college life. During my teenage, it was almost compulsory to have Kolkata chowmein once a week. After finishing my tuition classes, I always used to go to the stalls with my friends and buy one plate of hot freshly prepared chow mein and share it with one friend because the quantity was really good. It was not possible for any of my friends and me to eat a full plate of chow mein. Those were so fantastic days!!!
But after leaving my hometown for a job, I missed my friends a lot along with Bengali street food, especially Kolkata chowmein, Kolkata egg roll and phuchka. Though chicken chow mein was available in many Chinese restaurants in Bangalore but it’s taste and texture were completely different from the Chow mein Kolkata. To satisfy my craving, one day, I decided to prepare chicken chow mein recipe Bengali at my hostel in Bangalore. That was my first attempt with friends to prepare this dish. To be honest, I was a novice and the desi chowmein recipe turned out OK but not great.
But after a long time, when I came out of the country for the first time and started craving for Kolkata street food, I got determined to prepare Kolkata chowmein at home once again. By this time, I was an expert married cook and looked forward to imitating the same taste as I held in my memories.
The next day evening, I prepared the tasty divine and my husband just loved the preparation and said “Now I don’t need to wait to go to my hometown to have this delicious chow mein. I can have them any time at home in a foreign land”. I was so overwhelmed by the compliment. Now Kolkata chowmein has become one of our common evening snacks preparation and sometimes lazy dinners as well.
Chicken chow mein recipe Bengali is simple and easy to make. It requires very basic and easily available ingredients to get prepared. It could be a perfect snack or dinner recipe for a small family get-together.
Kolkata chowmein with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instruction’ section of the recipe. If you follow each step of my recipe precisely then I hope that it can remind you of the taste of the street food of Kolkata.
Tips to prepare perfect Kolkata chowmein
- Always marinate the chicken before frying. It gives a better taste and flavour.
- Boil the noodles as per the instructions provided. Boil it till al dente, not more than that or else the chow mein turn out sticky.
- Mix all the sauces together in a bowl and make it handy.
- Don’t skip the ground spices from the recipe. It gives the typical Kolkata chow mein flavour to the dish.
- You can use a choice of your vegetables for the recipe.
- Always cook the vegetables on high or medium-high flame.
How to make Kolkata chowmein?
To prepare the Kolkata chowmein, first, wash and clean the chicken thighs and cut them into small pieces. Then transfer the chicken into a mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper, soya sauce, ginger-garlic paste, and corn flour into the bowl. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and cover the bowl. Allow the chicken to get marinated for at least 15 minutes. This step helps you to get flavoured, tender and juicy chicken.
Then take a large non-stick pan and add some oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add marinated chicken pieces into the pan and shallow fry them evenly on medium flame from both sides till brown spots appear and the chicken gets cooked. This step takes around 10 minutes to get cooked. Keep the chicken pieces aside on a plate.
On the other hand, cut the vegetables and keep them aside.
Put a pan on flame and add water and salt to it. Turn the flame high and allow the water to boil. Add the noodles into the pan and cook it on high flame till al dente for around 6 minutes. Please follow the instructions provided in the packet. Don’t overcook the noodles or else they will turn mushy. Then stain the content and toss it with some oil. Keep it aside.
In the meantime, take a bowl and add soya sauce, vinegar, tomato ketchup, chilli paste and mix it thoroughly. Keep it aside for later use.
Now add some oil into a pan if required. Once the oil is hot, add onion and fry it on high flame for a minute. Then add chopped garlic, spring onion whites and cook it on high flame for another 1 minute. Add carrot strips and cook them on high flame for a minute. Then add capsicum, cabbage, green chillies into the pan and fry them over high flame for 2-3 minutes.
Now add salt, black pepper, garam masala powder into the pan and mix it nicely. Cook it on high flame for a minute.
Add the cooked noodles, fried chicken pieces, spring onion greens, and sauce mixture, one by one into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over high flame for 2-3 minutes and stir it frequently. Then switch off the flame.
Many Indian street food has already been shared in my previous post. You can check a few of them like
Phuchka
Kolkata egg roll
Kolkata fish fry
Bengali Chana masala recipe
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
1 Cup = 250 ml
To marinate the Chicken
- 200 grams Chicken thighs, small pieces (boneless-skinless)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Soya sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt, adjust accordingly
- ½ tablespoon Corn flour
To boil the noodles
- 150 grams noodles
- 1 litre aka 4 cups water to boil the noodles
- ½ tablespoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Oil to toss the boiled noodles
For the sauce mix
- ½ tablespoon Soya sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chilli sauce
- ½ tablespoon Vinegar
Other ingredients
- 1 small Onion, sliced
- 3 large cloves of Garlic, chopped
- 4 Spring onion
- 1 cup shredded Cabbage
- 1 medium Carrot
- ½ Capsicum
- 2 green Chillies
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper powder
- ¾ teaspoon Garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon Oil
Instructions:
- Wash and clean the Chicken thighs and cut them into small pieces. Then transfer the Chicken into a mixing bowl.
- Add ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon soya Sauce, 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and ½ tablespoon corn flour into the bowl. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and cover the bowl with cling film or with a plate. Allow the chicken to get marinated for at least 15 minutes.
Tip: While you marinate the Chicken, the flavours go inside the pieces. The Soya sauce makes the Chicken flavourful and gives a nice colour. - Cut all the vegetables and keep them ready to use.
- In the meantime, put a pan on flame and add water and salt to it. Turn the flame high and allow the water to boil.
- Add the noodles into the pan and cook it on high flame till al dente for around 6 minutes. Please follow the instruction given in the packet. Don’t overcook the noodles or else they will turn mushy.
- Strain the content and toss it with some oil. Keep it aside.
- Take a bowl and add ½ tablespoon soya sauce, ½ tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon chilli sauce and mix it thoroughly. Keep it aside for later use.
- Take a wide non-stick pan and add some 2 tablespoons of oil to it.
- Once the oil is hot, add marinated chicken pieces into the pan and shallow fry them evenly on medium flame from both sides till brown spots appear and the chicken gets cooked. Cook the chicken pieces for around 5 minutes and turn them to cook the other side. It takes around 8-10 minutes to get cook completely.
- Keep the chicken pieces aside on a separate plate.
Tip: Don’t overcook the Chicken as it may become dry and rubbery. - Now add some oil into a pan if required. Once the oil is hot, add onion and fry it on high flame for a minute.
- Add chopped garlic, spring onion whites and cook it on high flame for another 1 minute.
- Add carrot strips and cook it on high flame for a minute.
- Add capsicum, cabbage, green chillies into the pan and fry them over high flame for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, ¾ teaspoon garam masala powder into the pan and mix it nicely. Cook it on high flame for a minute.
- Add the cooked noodles, fried chicken pieces, spring onion greens, and sauce mixture, one by one into the pan and mix it well.
- Cook it over high flame for 2-3 minutes and stir it frequently. Then switch off the flame.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the Chicken chow mein recipe Bengali to the serving plate. Serve immediately to enjoy its best taste. Serve it to your family and friends and enjoy the delectable Kolkata street food.
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250 ml
To marinate the Chicken
- 200 grams Chicken thighs, small pieces (boneless-skinless)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Soya sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt, adjust accordingly
- ½ tablespoon Corn flour
To boil the noodles
- 150 grams noodles
- 1 litre aka 4 cups water to boil the noodles
- ½ tablespoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Oil to toss the boiled noodles
For the sauce mix
- ½ tablespoon Soya sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chilli sauce
- ½ tablespoon Vinegar
Other ingredients
- 1 small Onion, sliced
- 3 large cloves of Garlic, chopped
- 4 Spring onion
- 1 cup shredded Cabbage
- 1 medium Carrot
- ½ Capsicum
- 2 green Chillies
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper powder
- ¾ teaspoon Garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon Oil
Instructions
- Wash and clean the Chicken thighs and cut them into small pieces. Then transfer the Chicken into a mixing bowl.
- Add ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon soya Sauce, 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and ½ tablespoon corn flour into the bowl. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and cover the bowl with cling film or with a plate. Allow the chicken to get marinated for at least 15 minutes. Tip: While you marinate the Chicken, the flavours go inside the pieces. The Soya sauce makes the Chicken flavourful and gives a nice colour.
- Cut all the vegetables and keep them ready to use.
- In the meantime, put a pan on flame and add water and salt to it. Turn the flame high and allow the water to boil.
- Add the noodles into the pan and cook it on high flame till al dente for around 6 minutes. Please follow the instruction given in the packet. Don’t overcook the noodles or else they will turn mushy.
- Strain the content and toss it with some oil. Keep it aside.
- Take a bowl and add ½ tablespoon soya sauce, ½ tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon chilli sauce and mix it thoroughly. Keep it aside for later use.
- Take a wide non-stick pan and add some 2 tablespoons of oil to it.
- Once the oil is hot, add marinated chicken pieces into the pan and shallow fry them evenly on medium flame from both sides till brown spots appear and the chicken gets cooked. Cook the chicken pieces for around 5 minutes and turn them to cook the other side. It takes around 8-10 minutes to get cook completely.
- Keep the chicken pieces aside on a separate plate. Tip: Don’t overcook the Chicken as it may become dry and rubbery.
- Now add some oil into a pan if required. Once the oil is hot, add onion and fry it on high flame for a minute.
- Add chopped garlic, spring onion whites and cook it on high flame for another 1 minute.
- Add carrot strips and cook it on high flame for a minute.
- Add capsicum, cabbage, green chillies into the pan and fry them over high flame for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, ¾ teaspoon garam masala powder into the pan and mix it nicely. Cook it on high flame for a minute.
- Add the cooked noodles, fried chicken pieces, spring onion greens, and sauce mixture, one by one into the pan and mix it well.
- Cook it over high flame for 2-3 minutes and stir it frequently. Then switch off the flame.
