Hakka Noodlesહક્કા નૂડલ્સ
Noodles tossed on high heat with shredded vegetables and soy sauce. Children love them and they take twenty-five minutes end to end.
Ingredients
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- 200 g hakka noodles
- 1 cup shredded cabbage, carrot, capsicum and spring onion
- 5-6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp chilli sauce
- Salt and crushed pepper
- 3 tbsp oil
Method
- Boil the noodles in salted water for 3-4 minutes, no longer.
- Rinse in cold water, drain and toss with a spoon of oil so they don't stick.
- On high heat, fry the garlic for 30 seconds, then the vegetables for 2-3 minutes; keep them crunchy.
- Add the sauces, salt and pepper.
- Add the noodles and lift-and-toss with two forks for 2 minutes on high heat.
- Finish with spring onion and serve hot.
Tips
- Overboiled noodles turn to paste.
- Lift and toss rather than stir, or they break.
Storing and reheating
They keep two days in an airtight box in the fridge. As they cool the noodles stiffen and clump together and the vegetables go limp. Reheat in a kadai on high with half a teaspoon of oil and a splash of water, lifting and tossing for two minutes. A microwave makes them gummy and heavy.
What you can swap
- No hakka noodles? Any wheat noodle or even spaghetti works; check the packet for the boiling time.
- Dark soy gives colour, light soy gives salt. If you only have one, adjust the quantity: a tablespoon of dark, or two of light.
- No vinegar? Use lemon juice, but add it off the heat; its brightness cooks away.
- Instead of chilli sauce, use schezwan chutney or red chilli paste for more heat and a darker colour.
What to serve with it
At home this is birthday food and Sunday-night food. With a gravy of veg manchurian or chilli paneer alongside it becomes a full meal, and at a street stall it is served with soup and garlic bread.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not cook it on low heat. The kadai should be nearly smoking; on a low flame the noodles steam and the vegetables release water.
- Go easy on the soy sauce. More than two tablespoons and the noodles turn dark, salty and wet.
- Do not cut the vegetables thick. They have two or three minutes to cook, so they need to be long matchsticks.
- Do not add salt before the sauces. Soy is already salty; taste first, then season at the end.
Questions people ask
Why do my noodles stick together?
Either they were over-boiled or they were not rinsed. Boil them a minute less than the packet says, pour cold water over them in a colander, drain well, toss with a teaspoon of oil and spread them on a wide plate.
What is the difference between hakka noodles and chowmein?
In Indian restaurants hakka noodles are usually the dry, lifted-and-tossed kind, while chowmein is saucier and is often served with gravy poured over. The noodles themselves are the same; the difference is in how they are finished and how much sauce goes in.
Can I use noodles boiled the day before?
Yes, and they often work better because they have dried out and separated. Take them out of the fridge half an hour ahead, loosen them with your fingers, then add them to a screaming hot pan.
