12 September, 2013

Vegetable Hakka Noodles Recipe | Indo-Chinese Veg Hakka Noodles Recipe

Learn how to make Vegetable Hakka Noodles ~ Indo-Chinese recipe of stir fried vegetable and noodles with assorted sauces

As my fingers tap danced on the laptop’s keyboard to shape my thoughts into words, my eyes wandered out of the window to admire the tall trees swaying at the cool evening breeze. They stood tall like a proud soldiers as the green leaves on branch ruffle and sway when caressed by the evening breeze. And then I noticed something...

Vegetable Hakka Noodles ~ Indo-Chinese recipe

Among emerald green leaves peeked few yellow and orange leaves! This, for me, marks the change in season, end of summer and beginning of fall! It is not that I turned blind eye to the sudden drop in temperature or that I need to wear light cashmeres when stepping out of home. But after enjoying the glorious summer, I am still trying to cling to whatever little summer days that are left! I for once cannot let go of my flip flops, sandals or little ballet shoes! And I know for sure that it will take at least some more time before I take out my fall jackets and knee length boots...

Vegetable Hakka Noodles ~ Quick and simple recipe

As the days and the nights become cooler, the cold salads and chilled drinks are becoming less frequent on our dinner table. To keep ourselves warm, the very much loved comfort foods, especially sizzling hot Indian curries, deep fried snacks right off the hot oil and even some warm soups have started to make appearance now and then. Since our town’s farmers market continues to sell the best fresh produce from the farm, we continue to enjoy the best of last of summer bounties. The vibrant coloured platters of foods packed with rich flavours, aromatic spices and knock your socks off kind of taste sensations are always a hit in our home. And our beloved Indo-Chinese food always comes on top of the list with their simple cooking techniques, crisp and colourful vegetables, and superb flavour.

Chinese Wheat Noodles for Veg Hakka Noodles

One such Indo-Chinese food that not only is firm favourite with hubby and I, but also Lil Dumpling is Vegetable Hakka Noodles. Veg Hakka Noodles is one of the most loved street foods in India which is something I crave for, especially during winter months. The pretty simple cooking technique and quick to make dishes like this Vegetable Hakka Noodles comes to my rescue when I lack inspiration to cook, but crave for something comforting to eat and delicious to taste! This Veg Hakka Noodles is pretty forgiving dish even if you make a blunder when cooking.

Vegetable Hakka Noodles served with Gobi Manchurian

Every cook has his or her own version of Vegetable Hakka Noodles adding different sauces or ingredients. You can add any vegetables of your choice or whatever you have on hand to make this utterly simple dish. I use different vegetables that I have at the time whenever the Indo-Chinese food cravings hit me very hard. So that taste varies based on the vegetables I use. The ones served at restaurant have distinct smoky flavour which comes from cooking at very high flame in their large restaurant gas cooker as well as the type of wok they use. But you can create very satisfying and quite delicious Vegetable Hakka Noodles at home by keeping few things in mind. One rule I always follow when cooking any Indo-Chinese food that requires quick stir frying at high temperature is to make sure that I chop all the vegetables in same size. It is very important that you follow this rule which not only reduces the cooking time. Also remember not to overcook the rice or noodles as you want them to retain their shape when you toss them in a high flame and little bite when eat them. Keeping these few basic tips in mind, shall we make some delicious Vegetable Hakka Noodles?!

Colourful vegetables used for Veg Hakka Noodles

Cooked noodles

Vegetables Hakka Noodles ~ Yum!


Vegetable Hakka Noodles (Indo-Chinese recipe of stir fried vegetable and noodles with assorted sauces)
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: Around 15-20 mins
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner
Spice Level: Low to Medium
Serves: 3-4 People
Shelf Life: Best served fresh but can be refrigerated for upto 3 days
Serving Suggestion: On its own or with Gobi/Baby corn/Mushroom/Vegetable Manchurian or Veg Balls/Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce or with Crispy Stuffed Mushrooms and enjoy!

Ingredients:
250 gms Chinese Wheat Noodles
1 cup assorted coloured Bell Peppers, thinly cut
½ cup or 1 medium Carrot, peeled and cut into 1½ matchstick sized pieces
½ cup French Beans, cut into 1½ piece
½ cup White Cabbage, thinly chopped
1 large Onion or 6 Spring Onions, thinly sliced
4-6 large cloves of Garlic, thinly sliced
1 inch Ginger, peeled and grated (Optional)
2 tbsp Dark Soya Sauce (Adjust as per taste)
2 tbsp Tomato Sauce/Ketchup (Adjust as per taste)
1 tbsp Chilli Sauce (Optional, adjust as per taste)
½ - 1 tsp White/Black Pepper Powder (Adjust as per taste)
1+3 tbsp Asian Sesame Oil or any other oil of your choice
Salt to taste
Indo-Chinese Veg Hakka Noodles

Method:
  1. Bring about 1 litre of water in a large pot to boil on a high flame. When water comes to roaring boil, reduce the heat to medium and add a tsp of salt and a tbsp of oil to the pot.
  2. Add noodles to the boiling water and let it cook uncovered for about 8-10 minutes until they are cooked al dante meaning they should be firm to touch and retain their shape. Take care not to overcook them.
  3. While the noodles are cooking, prepare all the vegetables required to make Veg Hakka Noodles.
  4. Drain all the water using colander and run the noodles under running cold water to stop them from cooking further. Keep them aside until needed.
  5. Heat sesame oil in a large wok to smoking hot and add thinly sliced garlic pieces. Fry them till the edges turn light golden, about 15 seconds, and then toss in sliced onions. Stir fry the onion slices till the edges turn golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.
  6. Mix in grated ginger, carrots, bell pepper and French beans and stir fry them on high flame for 2-3 minutes.
  7. Next add cabbage, soya sauce, tomato sauce or ketchup and chilli sauce if using and sit them well.
  8. Add cooked noodles and toss them well so that the oil and sauce are well coated. Mix in pepper powder and add more salt if needed.
  9. Stir fry the noodles for 2-3 minutes on high flame until they are heated through. Turn off the gas and mix in greens of spring onions.
  10. Serve this delicious Vegetable Hakka Noodles immediately on its own or with Gobi/Baby corn/Mushroom/Vegetable Manchurian or Veg Balls/Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce or with Crispy Stuffed Mushrooms and enjoy!

Vegetable Hakka Noodles ~ Indo-Chinese recipe of stir fried vegetable and noodles with assorted sauces


Sia’s Notes:
  • One rule I always follow when cooking any Indo-Chinese food that requires quick stir frying at high temperature is to make sure that I chop all the vegetables in same size. It is very important that you follow this rule which not only reduces the cooking time.
  • Remember not to overcook the rice or noodles as you want them to retain their shape when you toss them in a high flame and little bite when eat them.
  • While the noodles are cooking, prepare all the vegetables required to make Veg Hakka Noodles.
  • Don’t cut the amount of oil used in this recipe as it is required to keep the noodles from sticking to one another.
  • You can also add few cubed tofu while stir frying the vegetables to add some protein to the dish.
  • Serve this delicious Vegetable Hakka Noodles immediately on its own or with Gobi/Baby corn/Mushroom/Vegetable Manchurian or Veg Balls/Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce or with Crispy Stuffed Mushrooms and enjoy!

4 comments :

  1. Scrumptious! This dish is really appealing.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  2. You played with colors as well as with knife ! Awesome click! The side dish also very colourful ! feel happy whenever i read your blog some times it reflects my feelings!

    ReplyDelete
  3. colourful delicious inviting noodles.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love the Noodles and I am drooling as usual by seeing the clicks :)

    ReplyDelete

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