Curried Chicken Noodles

An easy and simple chicken noodle dish that is flavored with curry powder and made nutritious by adding vegetables.

I am yet to find a kid who does not like noodles. In fact it would be easier to say that kids love oodles of noodles! And then there are endless varieties to choose from. Though I love what Instant noodles have to offer in terms of flavours, pricing or time-saving options, I would generally not recommend it for my children. The simple reason for that is that is comes with preservatives and additives which can have harmful effects on the body.

It is obvious that the flavour of the Instant Noodles lies in the seasoning mix. So replacing it with your own seasoning and adding it to home-made noodles can give you similar or better results without compromising on health. My ultimate standby seasoning is the spice blend called Curry Powder. I use it in soups, add it to rice, roasted vegetables, grilled meats and so on. Adding it to noodles enhances its taste and is a nice variation to the typical flavours. Curry powder is available in most supermarkets and Indian stores but if you want to control the ingredients in the spice blend, you can make your own. There are however many variations to this too but I prefer to use the ones without cloves or cinnamon as they otherwise taste like Garam Masala. Here’s a recipe that you can use to make it at home.

I have used fresh, thick hokkien noodles in this recipe. I prefer to use this variety as it significantly reduces my cooking time. If you do not have access to this variety you can use any noodles of your choice but remember to follow the instructions on the pack as the cooking time would vary. The protein in the recipe is chicken mince. It can be substituted with whatever you have at hand or eliminated if you are a vegetarian. Again, for me minced meat works best as it cooks quickly and takes on flavours uniformly.

The curried chicken noodles is a favourite at our place and is a real time saver when you are busy. It is also a great way of adding vegetables to your meal. Do take care not to overcook them so they retain their shape and colour in the food. One of the reasons why my children love this dish is because of its vibrant colour.

Hope you all are having a great weekend. Ours is a wet one and quite a dampener as we had so much planned for the weekend.

 

Curried Chicken Noodles (adapted with variation from Recipes+ magazine)
Serves 4

300 g chicken mince
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 brown onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 green pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tsp curry powder
salt, as per taste
300 g Thick hokkien noodles
1 tbsp soya sauce
spring onions, finely shopped
red chillies, finely chopped (optional)

Soak the hokkien noodles in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Stir with a fork to separate the strands. Drain to remove water. Keep aside

In a non-stick wok or large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and fry till lightly browned. Add the chicken mince and curry powder and stir fry till browned and fragrant. Next add the carrots, peppers and frozen peas and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add in the noodles, soya sauce and salt and mix till well combined.

Garnish with chopped spring onions and red chillies (if using).