Vegetarian Quorn Chow Mein Noodles

Noodle dishes have become so popular in India that there is now such a thing as 'Indo-Chinese' cuisine. This basically means we have taken the foundation of these Asian recipes and added some Indian flavour to it - because lets face it, everything tastes better with a bit of chilli and garlic right? Ok well not everything...... But this dish definitely does!

These noodles are so easy to make yet taste incredibly delicious and are full of flavour! And it is all down to the main ingredient: Ching's Secret Hakka Noodles Chow Mein Masala Powder. I was I introduced to this by one of my best friends and it was a game changer for me! You can find it in most Indian grocery shops and it literally adds the most amazing flavour of spice and tanginess to your noodles! It is traditionally meant to be used with hakka noodles, however to make this recipe healthier I have used wholewheat noodles instead. The addition of quorn mince adds a good amount of protein to the dish which is great for keeping you full for longer! I've also incorporated some additional seasoning to lift and bring out the flavour of the powder as well as some wet ingredients because I found it was a little on the dry side with just the powder.

MIX UP YOUR VEG COMBO

The combination of vegetables I have used is completely down to my preference, so feel free to switch it up according to what you like it in your noodles. Typically in a hakka noodles/chow mein dish in Indo-Chinese cuisine, mixed pepper, onions and baby sweetcorn are used. However I like a bit of green in mine and I'm not a fan of onion in noodles so I went for some mangetout and carrots to add a variety of colour! Some other great options are brocolli/tenderstem and mushrooms.

CAN I OMIT THE QUORN MINCE?

Yes you can, although quorn mince is a great source of protein so makes this dish so much more healthier. However if you're not a fan why not try adding some tofu instead? Or can you just keep it packed with purely vegetables, the choice is yours.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2):

• 2 nests wholewheat medium noodles

• 150g quorn mince

• 65g baby sweetcorn - each one cut into 4 pieces

• 100g mangetout - ends trimmed and cut in half

• 1/2 sweet pointed red pepper - deseeded and cut into sticks

• 1 medium carrot - peeled and cut into sticks

• handful of spring onion

• 2 tsp Ching's Secret Hakka Noodles Chow Mein Masala powder

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• 1 birds eye chilli - chopped and deseeded (optional for extra heat)

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

• 3 tbsp passata

• 1 tsp coconut oil (or any other oil of choice)

• pinch of seasame seeds to serve (optional)

METHOD:

1. Boil the noodles as per the packet instructions then drain and leave to a side.

2. In a large wok, heat the oil on high heat then add in the garlic and birds eye chilli if using. Allow these to sizzle for 1 minute before adding the quorn mince, baby sweetcorn, mangetout, pepper and carrots. Cook these on high heat, constantly stirring for 5 minutes or until the quorn is fully defrosted and the vegetables begin to soften slightly.

3. Lower the head and add in your noodles and stir in with the vegetables and quorn mince until combined.

4. Sprinkle in the Ching's Secret powder, followed by the soy sauce and passata then mix well. Stir in the spring onion. Cover and leave on low heat for 5 minutes until everything is piping hot, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.

5. Once everything is heated through, serve with a sprinkle of some seasame seeds if you'd like.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:

412 kcal

64.4g carbs

10.6g fibre

6.1g sugar

5.1g fat

23.7g protein