Street-style Vegetable Hakka Noodles are a perfect quick weeknight meal.
Enjoy them on their own or serve with chili paneer or gobi manchurian for a satisfying Indo-Chinese dinner.
When I was a child my idea of “Chinese food” was shaped by what was popular locally: anything with soy sauce and vinegar. In India, Chinese-style dishes meant noodles, paneer manchurian, sweet corn soup and chili potatoes. Street-style noodles from roadside stalls were a staple at birthdays and special occasions.
Indian-Chinese food has grown into its own cuisine here — loved everywhere from restaurants to food trucks. Noodles are a favorite for kids and adults alike, and I used to get them only on special occasions. Now that I cook, I make hakka noodles whenever a craving hits. They’re simple to prepare and require just a few basic ingredients.
How to Make Restaurant-Style Hakka Noodles at Home
Choose the right noodles
Pick a good brand of Hakka noodles for the best texture. I use Ching Vegetarian Hakka Noodles, which are widely available at Indian grocery stores and work well for this recipe.
Use a little extra oil
Perfect noodles have separate strands, not clumps. Coat drained noodles with a little oil immediately after boiling to stop them sticking. Also use slightly more oil while stir-frying the noodles with vegetables. In my experience, 2 tablespoons of oil while cooking produces a restaurant-style finish.
Use the right veggies
Traditional Indian-style hakka noodles typically include onion, cabbage, bell pepper and carrots. I sometimes skip cabbage if I don’t have it, but the classic mix works best. Cook the vegetables on high heat so they stay crunchy.
Chop all the veggies thin
Slice vegetables into thin juliennes. Thick pieces don’t blend well with these noodles — thin, uniform strips cook quickly and give the right bite.
Use the right cookware
Stir-fry in a large wok over high heat. That high heat combined with the right pan helps achieve the smoky, restaurant-style flavor. Hakka noodles pair beautifully with fried rice, chili paneer or other Indo-Chinese dishes like baby corn Manchurian and gobi manchurian.
Do all preparation before you start cooking. Everything is cooked on high heat, and you want the vegetables to stay crisp. Chop, slice and have everything ready — you won’t have time to prep during cooking.
Method – Hakka Noodles Recipe
1. Boil the noodles according to package instructions. For the brand I used, that was only about 2 minutes.
2. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold running water to stop the cooking.
3. Toss the drained noodles with 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil so they don’t stick. Set aside.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add minced garlic, minced ginger, sliced green chili and chopped celery. Sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
5. Add sliced onions and sauté for a minute or two until the edges turn light golden.
6. Add sliced carrots, bell pepper and most of the green onions. Cook for 1 minute on high heat; keep the vegetables crunchy.
7. Push the vegetables to the side, lower the heat slightly and add soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot sauce (like sriracha) and sugar if using.
8. Toss the vegetables with the sauce, then season with black pepper, salt and a pinch of white pepper.
9. Add the boiled noodles to the wok.
10. Use tongs to mix thoroughly so the noodles are evenly coated with sauce.
11. Stir in a teaspoon of chili oil if you like extra heat — this is optional.
12. Toss again, garnish with the remaining spring onion greens and serve.
Serve hakka noodles on their own or alongside Indo-Chinese favorites. I love them with chili paneer.
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This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in 2014.
Vegetable Hakka Noodles
Ingredients
- 300 grams noodles (I used Ching Hakka Noodles)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 green chili, sliced
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 medium red onion (100 g), sliced
- 1 large carrot (100 g), sliced
- 1 large red pepper (200 g), sliced (or mix of green and red)
- 3 stalks green onion, chopped + more to garnish
- 2.5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (like sriracha)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Pinch white pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon chili oil (optional)
Instructions
- Chop all the vegetables before you start.
- Boil the noodles according to package instructions (about 2 minutes for my noodles).
- Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss with 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a wok on medium-high. Add garlic, ginger, green chili and celery; sauté briefly.
- Add sliced onions and sauté until the edges turn light golden.
- Add carrots, bell pepper and most green onions. Cook 1 minute on high so vegetables stay crunchy.
- Push vegetables to the side, lower heat and add soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot sauce and sugar if using. Toss to combine.
- Season with black pepper, salt and a pinch of white pepper.
- Stir in the boiled noodles and toss with tongs so they are well coated.
- Optionally stir in a teaspoon of chili oil. Toss and garnish with spring onion greens.
- Serve as is or with your favorite Indo-Chinese dishes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 84 g,
Protein: 15 g,
Fat: 12 g,
Saturated Fat: 4 g,
Sodium: 1322 mg,
Potassium: 514 mg,
Fiber: 6 g,
Sugar: 8 g,
Vitamin A: 5900 IU,
Vitamin C: 76.3 mg,
Calcium: 50 mg,
Iron: 2.1 mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
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