Vegetable hakka noodles right off from your favorite street food vendor 🙂 This is a super popular noodles recipe in Indo Chinese restaurants, street side eateries, food trucks, Chinese take outs etc. Vegan recipe!
Essentially a tasty noodles stir fry with vegetables and sauces, this noodles is a perfect balance of flavor and crunch and unmistakable umami.
This comforting noodle bowl tastes great on its own or with a side of gobi manchurian, chilli paneer, veg manchurian, paneer manchurian, braised tofu etc.
What Are Hakka Noodles?
Hakka noodles are popular Indo chinese noodles recipe first made by the Chinese population of Kolkata. It is said to be inspired by the hakka cuisine of southeast China.
Let’s just agree they are the best kind of noodles shall we? If you are familiar with Indo chinese cuisine I am sure you have tasted or at least heard of this noodles stir fry.
Whenever we crave something spicy and comforting and I don’t want to spend long time in kitchen, I resort to noodles. Easy veg noodles, schezwan noodles, sesame noodles, pad thai, vegetarian pho are few of our favorite choices along with this hakka noodles.
It is basically a preparation of boiled noodles sauteed with sauces and meat or vegetables of choice. Some of the popular varieties are Chinese hakka noodles, vegetable hakka noodles, egg hakka noodles etc.
This is an ultimate weeknight dinner in every sense. Get this, it is super quick to make, loaded with vegetables, flavorful and it is noodles 🙂 The excitement of eating noodles never fades am I right? When you can sneak in as much veggies you want, it is a win-win 🙂
These vegetable hakka noodles are super popular among kids. In most Birthday parties, potlucks or any special occ
While the noodles used for this recipe is made with unleavened refined flour, you can easily swap with whole wheat or even millet noodles.
Use whatever vegetables you have, vary the sauces as you like and build your own noodle bowl. it is super fun and delicious.
This Veg Hakka Noodles Is
Vegan and can be made gluten free easily.
Packed with vegetables
Super flavorful
Delicious
addictive
best for parties.
Ingredients
Noodles– To make this recipe you can use the special hakka noodles variety available easily in the stores. These are refined flour noodles. If you want to make it healthier you can use any wheat or millet noodles.
I mostly use millet noodles or thin wheat flour noodles for this recipe. This recipe will work for any type of noodles.
Sauces- This noodles does not require much of sauces. I usually use light soy sauce, dash of chili sauce and some vinegar. Instead of red chili sauce you can also use hot sauce, green chili sauce or chili paste. You can simply use chili flakes too.
Vegetables- Vegetables typically used for this vegetarian hakka noodles recipe are carrots, spring onion, bell peppers, cabbage, beans etc. Depending upon the availability I also add broccoli, pok choy too.
Aromatics– The usual suspects we use in most Asian recipes. Ginger, garlic, chili flakes, black pepper powder or white pepper powder and a pinch of sugar. A final touch of salt and pepper ofcourse.
Along with these we also add a pinch of ground turmeric powder in this recipe. This is one tip I got from street vendor in Bangalore, whose veg hakka noodles were phenomenal with a vibrant color.
According to him a pinch of turmeric while sauteing vegetables lend a wonderful mellow flavor and I am the one to vouch for it. have been making hakka noodles with tip for more than a decade.
How To Make Perfect Hakka Noodles?
This is a super straightforward recipe that does not take much of your time. These tips will help you name the best vegetarian hakka noodles in no time, ok like in 30 minutes.
What kind of noodles is best for this recipe?
As mentioned above use thin refined wheat flour noodles also known as hakka noodles itself if you are making for special occasions.
To make this healthier you can also use whole wheat noodles. If you prefer to use spaghetti or even rice noodles works well in this recipe.
Mix and match the vegetables.
This is a super adaptable recipe where you can use most of your prefered vegetables. I usually use carrots, beans, scallions, cabbage, peas, corn, baby corn etc.
I sometimes make hakka noodles with carrot and cabbage alone. But with veggies, it is always the more the merrier. If you are making this especially for a fussy eating kids, you know what to do 🙂
How to cook noodles perfectly for this recipe?
Cooking time usually varies with the brand of noodles you use, so it is better to stick to the package instructions. However here are few pointers to cook the noodles perfectly for this veg hakka noodles recipe, We basically need al dente noodles
- Cook the noodles a minute or two lesser than mentioned in the packet. As we are going to saute the noodles with veggies and sauces chances are they might over cooked.
- Use a big pot and avoid the crowding of noodles. This will make them non stick and retain their shape.
- Bring the water to a full boil before adding the noodles.
- Add few drops of oil to the water to cook them non stick.
- Once they are cooked, immediately drain using a colander and rinse under cold water thoroughly.
- Add few more drops of oil to the cooked noodles, toss and keep covered until use.
MSG- to add or not
I do not use msg in any of my Indo chinese recipes. For this Chinese hakka noodles tastes good with or without msg. If you want that exact takeout flavor and umami, perhaps you should add a pinch.
There is a long debate on their safety so go ahead with your preference.
Extra oil is everything in this recipe
If you have eaten hakka noodles in Chinese restaurant or from road side eateries, you probably know how oily this dish is.
I have already reduced the oil as much possible, so please stick to 2 tablespoons oil mentioned in the recipe for best taste and texture. When you make it with a bit more of oil, the taste and texture just turns out be the same as street food noodles.
Please do not skimp on oil if you want to replicate the exact street style taste. Use sesame oil for the authentic flavor and a dash of chilli oil for that heat.
I also like to drizzle few drops of chilli oil just before serving. I use homemade chilli oil, you can also use your prefered brand. It comes in various varieties.
More Tips & Notes
Use the right wok- A broad Chinese wok is perfect to make hakka noodles. It is broad and has the shape perfect for stir fries. It also withstands super high heat which is a must for all Chinese recipes.
If you do not have that wok, a broad cast iron pan or kadai is the next best option. A good sturdy pan is a must as we need to heat the pan until it is smoky hot and maintain the highest heat throughout the recipe.
I recommend a good cast iron or carbon steel pans for cooking Indo chinese recipes.
How to chop vegetables for hakka noodles?
You can julienne the vegetables, finely chop them or slice into thin sticks. Just make sure all of them are chopped thin or fine and of uniform size.
This is very important as we are cooking them in high flame for short time.
Prepare everything before beginning the recipe,
The total cook time of this recipe is 7-8 minutes, yep that quick. So we will have to do the preparation before beginning with the recipe. As we are cooking in super high flame, there will be no time to prep anything by the stovetop.
The prep time taken for chopping the vegetables, mincing ginger garlic etc is more here 🙂
Variations
You can make this hakka noodles recipe in many ways.
To make this is a more satiating meal you can add 1 cup tofu along with vegetables. If you are using tofu, use extra firm ones. Press and pan fry before adding.
Other protein options would be temph, saitan, mushroom etc.
To make gluten free hakka noodles just use rice or any noodles without gluten and tamari instead of soy sauce.
Step By Step Method
Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil. Add a pinch of salt and few drops of oil.
Place the noodles and cook according to the package instructions.
Drain the excess water and rinse under cold water thoroughly.
Toss 1 teaspoon oil to the cooked noodles and mix well. Cover and set aside.
Now to make veg hakka noodles, heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in a large wok until it smokes.
Add minced ginger garlic and red chilli flakes. Saute for 30 seconds.
Now add the spring onion whites, chopped red onions and stir fry for another 40 seconds.
Next add the chopped carrot, beans, cabbage and bell peppers one by one quickly. Stir fry the vegetables for 2 minutes.
Now add ground turmeric, soy sauce, chilli sauce, chilli oil, chilli sauce, vinegar and stir to combine.
Now season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix and saute.
Add boiled noodles to the stir fried vegetables. Mix Quickly. Cook for few seconds.
Add spring onion greens, 1/2 teaspoon chili oil if prefered and mix well.
Add chopped spring onion greens, sesame seeds. Remove hakka noodle from heat.
Serve veg hakka noodles immediately.
Are you making this veg hakka noodles recipe and enjoy as much as we did.
Veg Hakka Noodles
Equipment
- Large Chinese wok or sturdy pan, preferably cast iron or carbon steel.
1 CUP = 250 ml
Ingredients
- 250 grams hakka noodles or any prefered noodles
- 4 cups water for boiling noodles
- 1 teaspoon oil to toss the cooked noodles
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 inch ginger peeled and minced
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1/2 cup spring onion whites chopped
- 1 red onion medium, chopped
- 1 carrot large, sliced or chopped
- 1 bell pepper large, chopped, any color
- 15 beans chopped
- 1/4 cup shredded cabbage
- 2 tablespoon `light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili oil
- 1 tablespoon chilli sauce or any hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked peppercorns white or black
- salt to taste
- 1/2 cup spring onion greens
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a pinch of salt along with few drops of oil.
- Place the noodles in boiling water and cook according to the package instructions.
- Drain the excess water from the noodles and rinse under cold water thoroughly.
- Toss about 1 teaspoon oil to the cooked noodles and mix well. Cover and set aside until use.
- Now to make vegetable hakka noodles, heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in a large wok until it smokes.
- Add the minced ginger garlic and red chilli flakes. Saute for around 30 seconds.
- Now add the finely chopped spring onion whites, chopped red onions and stir fry for another 40 seconds.
- Next the vegetable, add the chopped carrot, beans, cabbage and bell peppers one by one quickly. Stir fry the vegetables for around 2 minutes.
- Now add ground turmeric, soy sauce, chilli sauce, chilli oil,vinegar and stir to combine.
- Next season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix and saute well.
- Add the al dente boiled noodles to the stir fried vegetables. Mix quickly, cook for few seconds.
- Add the garnishes- spring onion greens, 1/2 teaspoon chili oil if prefered and mix well. Remove the cooked hakka noodle from heat.
- Serve vegetable hakka noodles immediately.
Notes
- Chili sauce or hot sauce is optional. The main flavor of hakka noodles comes from soy sauce and vinegar.
- For spicier noodles increase pepper to taste.
- You can double the recipe.
- This noodles stays good for 2 days in refrigerator.
Tanvir Bahl says
fabulous recipes.
Simple & quick and easy to cook.
Thanks