How to Make Veg Noodles (Stepwise Photos)
1. In a large pot, bring 5 cups water to a boil to cook noodles. After the water starts to boil quickly, add 5 ounces (150 grams) of noodles and cook them al dente according to the directions on the package. I used organic, wheat-flour made soba noodles. Do not overcook as they turn mushy.
2. As the noodles are cooking, thoroughly wash the vegetables under running water.
- I used roughly 1/4 cup of beans, 3/4 cup of carrot, 2 heaping cups of cabbage, and 3/4 cup of capsicum. You can use up to 3½ cups of mixed veggies.
- Chop the cabbage into quarters and submerge it in a bowl of warm water. After some time, give it another go and repeat a few times in a bowl of cold, fresh water. Drain the water completely from the cabbage. Julienne the cabbage and keep it aside. Make sure cabbage is drained well. Excess moisture can make the veggies soggy.
- Peel and slice the bell pepper, green beans, and carrots.
- Slice the green chilies and onions thin (optional).
3. After the noodles are al dente, transfer them to a colander and drain. Rinse with cold water. Spread 1 teaspoon oil all over the noodles. This prevents them from turning lumpy.
4. Prepare the sauces by combining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce in a small bowl before starting to stir fry the vegetable. For added umami flavor, feel free to add 1 tablespoon of vegetarian mushroom sauce. While cooking, you won’t have time to search for the sauce. So keep it ready. For substitutes check my notes below.
5. Heat a wok or a pan. Put in two tablespoons of peanut oil. Include 1 tsp finely chopped garlic. [I also use one strand of star anise, javitri, and mace.] You can omit the sauces and add flavor to the noodles with these spices. ].
6. Fry the garlic for just a minute, or until it starts to smell good. If you don’t want to use any hot sauce, make sure you use enough green chilies for the heat; otherwise, the noodles will taste very boring.
7. Stir-fry the sliced onions for a minute or two after adding them. We want the onions to be crunchy and not soft. Next add all the veggies.
8. Fry stirring often for 2 to 3 minutes. Avoid overcooking the vegetables; we want them to be crisp rather than mushy or tender.
Recall that the flame and heat must be at their maximum level for the noodles to smell smokey.
9. Add the cooked noodles & ½ teaspoon black pepper. Pour the prepared sauces around the pan. If you would like, you can optionally add 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil for flavor. Since the sauces already contain some salt, use caution when adding salt.
10. Stir-fry for two minutes without burning, tossing or mixing. Turn off the heat.
I made some fried eggs in the same pan. Transfer the noodles to serving plates. Add 2 tsp oil to the hot pan. Simply place the egg onto the heated pan and cook it over low heat until the yolk is almost set. Turn it to the otherside and cook until done. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Check out this fried egg post for step-by-step photos. Serve vegetable noodles hot or warm.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Noodles: Any type of noodles will work for this recipe, including whole grain, hakka, egg, and soba noodles. I have used soba noodles here.
The primary cause of the Chinese food’s smoky scent is high flame. Therefore, the vegetable noodles must be prepared over a high flame, just like any other Chinese dish.
Wok: The majority of Chinese restaurants use carbon steel woks, which help to fry food and give it a smoky flavor. For home preparations, a bare cast iron skillet or a heavy bottom pan are also excellent options. Pour the vinegar over the noodles rather than on the pan when using bare cast iron cookware.
The secret to making any Chinese noodle dish taste umami is soy sauce. Choose organic or naturally brewed soya sauce for health reasons. You can also use tamari or coconut aminos. If you use the appropriate amount of oil, salt, and green chilies, you can also omit all of these.
Additional sauce: I haven’t added any sauce to this, but feel free to add your favorite, such as sriracha, chili sauce, or schezwan sauce. These days we have been loving mushroom sauce here. You can also omit all of the sauces and simply add garlic, star anise, and one mace strand. These impart a wonderful aroma to the vegetable noodles.
- It is always best to bring water to a rolling boil before adding noodles.
- Use salt and oil only if mentioned on the pack. Certain types of noodles already contain salt, so they don’t need both.
- Cook the noodle al dente without making them mushy. Please cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. The cook time varies depending on the kind of noodles.
- After draining the noodles into the colander, give them a thorough rinse with cold water. Please check the pack of your noodles. Certain types of noodles become soft when submerged in cold water. So they should not be rinsed.
- Additionally, to keep the cooked noodles from becoming sticky, spread 1 tablespoon of oil over them.
Related Recipes
I too try to recreate the same at home. Despite the fact that our high ranges won’t produce this effect, take note of the following:
Making vegetable hakka noodles at home is quick and simple. Discover how to prepare a delicious recipe that will fulfill your cravings for street food at home.
Oil: Sunflower oil or any other neutral oil can be used. Olive oil is healthier choice as we are using generously. Peanut oil, sesame oil can also be used.
You can add tastemaker (checkout my homemade noodles masala). Alternatively, you can substitute commercially available Asian curry powder at the end.
Spring onions: Use the white part of the onion along with the vegetables for a minimal garnish; you can also omit this if you’d prefer to use regular onions.
