Calcutta Kitchen

Recipe

Chicken Chowmein (চিকেন চাউমিন)

Kolkata street-style chicken chowmein with tender chicken, egg, crisp vegetables and saucy noodles, cooked quickly over high heat.

Kolkata street-style chicken chowmein with noodles, chicken, egg, cabbage, carrot, capsicum and spring onion.

Recipe information

Prep time
20 min
Cook time
15 min
Total time
55 min
Servings
2
Difficulty
medium

About this recipe

This chicken chowmein is built around control rather than a long ingredient list: soak the noodles briefly instead of boiling them, rinse and drain them well, cut the vegetables into thin uniform matchsticks, cook the chicken and eggs separately, and finish everything in a smoking-hot wok. A short pause before the final toss helps the noodles pick up a little char, while soy sauce, chilli sauces, vinegar, sugar and optional MSG create the familiar salty, tangy and savoury street-style profile.

Equipment

The Better Home Chinese Wok

The Better Home Chinese Wok

Deep carbon steel-style wok designed for high-heat stir frying, tossing noodles, fried rice, vegetables, and Indo-Chinese dishes with ease.

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Victorinox Swiss Classic Chef Knife

Victorinox Swiss Classic Chef Knife

Premium Swiss chef knife with an exceptionally sharp blade, designed for precise slicing, chopping, and everyday food preparation.

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BERGNER Colander & Mixing Bowl

BERGNER Colander & Mixing Bowl

Stainless steel colander with integrated mixing bowl for washing, draining, rinsing, and prepping vegetables, fruits, pasta, and rice.

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Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls Set

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls Set

Stainless steel mixing bowl set in multiple sizes for mixing, marinating, whisking, storing, and serving ingredients.

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INKULTURE Stainless Steel Measuring Cups & Spoons

INKULTURE Stainless Steel Measuring Cups & Spoons

Premium stainless steel measuring cups and spoons with engraved measurement markings that won't fade over time.

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Ingredients

  • For the Noodles

  • For the Chicken

  • For the Eggs

  • Vegetables

  • Sauces & Seasoning

Cooking method

  1. Prepare the Noodles

  2. Place the dry noodles in a large bowl

  3. Pour boiling water over them until fully submerged

  4. Cover and soak for 5 minutes maximum

  5. Drain immediately

  6. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water to stop the cooking

  7. Drain very well

  8. Before stir-frying, gently loosen any clumped noodles with your hands

  9. Do not boil the noodles and do not add oil to the soaking water

  10. Marinate and Cook the Chicken

  11. Mix the chicken with salt, white pepper, soy sauce, cornflour, oil and sugar

  12. Rest for 15–20 minutes

  13. Heat the wok until smoking hot

  14. Add about 1 tsp oil and stir-fry the chicken over high heat for 2–3 minutes, just until cooked

  15. Remove and keep aside

  16. Scramble the Eggs

  17. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt

  18. Using the same wok, add a little oil if required

  19. Cook over high heat into soft scrambled pieces

  20. Remove and keep aside

  21. Stir-Fry the Vegetables

  22. Heat the wok until smoking hot

  23. Add the remaining oil

  24. Add the garlic and green chillies and stir-fry for a few seconds

  25. Add onion, carrot, cabbage, capsicum and spring onion whites in that order

  26. Cook over high heat for 1–2 minutes, tossing continuously

  27. Keep the vegetables thin and uniform so they cook quickly without becoming soft

  28. Finish the Chowmein

  29. Add the prepared noodles, cooked chicken and scrambled eggs

  30. Spread the noodles across the wok and leave them undisturbed for 20–30 seconds

  31. Add soy sauce, green chilli sauce, red chilli sauce, vinegar, white pepper, sugar, optional MSG and salt only if required

  32. Toss continuously over high heat for 2–3 minutes until evenly coated

  33. Finish with the spring onion greens

  34. Give one final toss and serve immediately

Pro tips

  • Do not boil the noodles; soak them in boiling water for 5 minutes maximum
  • Do not add oil to the soaking water
  • Always rinse the drained noodles with cold water to stop further cooking
  • Drain the noodles very well before stir-frying
  • Loosen clumped noodles before they go into the wok
  • Cut all vegetables into thin, uniform matchsticks
  • Cornflour in the chicken marinade helps the thin slices stay tender during the quick high-heat cook
  • The small amount of sugar in the chicken marinade and final seasoning balances the salty and tangy sauces
  • Cook in a very hot wok and keep the stir-fry short
  • Toss the noodles and vegetables rather than stirring them like a curry
  • Let the noodles sit undisturbed for 20–30 seconds before the final toss to develop a little char
  • Add salt cautiously because the sauces already contribute salt
  • MSG is optional; use a small amount if you want the more pronounced savoury profile described in this recipe

Frequently asked questions

Why are the noodles soaked instead of boiled?

This method softens the noodles just enough before stir-frying, reducing the risk of them becoming too soft in the hot wok.

Why rinse the noodles with cold water?

The cold rinse stops carryover cooking so the noodles do not continue softening after they are drained.

Should I add oil to the soaking water?

No. This method specifically avoids oil in the soaking water; drain the noodles well and loosen any clumps before stir-frying.

Why are the chicken and eggs cooked separately?

Cooking them separately lets you remove each as soon as it is ready, then return them at the end without overcooking them while the vegetables and noodles fry.

Why must the vegetables be cut thin and evenly?

Uniform thin pieces cook at a similar speed, which helps them stay crisp during the short high-heat stir-fry.

Is MSG necessary?

No. It is optional. The recipe uses only ¼ tsp when a stronger savoury street-style profile is wanted.

Why should I add salt only at the end?

Soy sauce and chilli sauces already contribute salt, so adding extra salt too early can make the finished chowmein overly salty.

Why leave the noodles undisturbed for 20–30 seconds?

That brief contact with the hot wok helps create a little surface char before the final toss.

Watch the recipe

Video preview: Chicken Chowmein Watch on YouTube

Chicken Chowmein

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