Hakka Noodles / Chowmein

Hakka noodles or chowmein as they call it in Delhi.

Maggi was my introduction to noodles and for a very long time it remained my reference to noodles too. I was not an Oriental food fan. I loved eating pizza and Punjabi food as a kid. At home, noodles were more or less banned (we hardly ever got to eat Maggi). They were viewed suspiciously. So, my tiny little Chinese tooth disappeared altogether J It started growing again after I got married. Pawan (my husband) loves Oriental food. We ate Chinese at the restaurants at times and ordered noodles at home when I was too bored to cook. I slowly started liking the flavours. I also explored Thai and loved the Thai curries. So, one fine day I decided to go for it.

Hakka Noodles for dinner for two. But, as I mentioned in the earlier post, it was a disaster. Second time lucky, I put together two fine bowls of hot hakka noodles- the Indian style ;)

This recipe is for 2-3 people

 Ingredients:

1 pack hakka noodles (I used Sam’s)

1 green capsicum

1 small carrot- cut in juliennes

1/8 cup French beans – sliced thin, diagonally (you can cut it the way you want)

4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3-4 small spring onion bulbs, chopped roughly (you can use normal onions also, but cut them in thin juliennes)

2-3 tbsp- spring onion greens

2-3 tbsp oil

½ tsp MSG (optional)

2 tsp soy sauce

2-3 tsp chili sauce

2 tsp white vinegar

Salt to taste

 

 Method:

  

1.     Heat enough water in a large vessel. Once it starts boiling, add 2 tsp salt and add the noodles. Cook over high flame till they are just cooked. In the meantime cook carrots and French beans in salted water in a microwave / over gas. You should be able to bite into them for a crunchy but not raw taste.

2.     Drain the hot water and refresh the noodles with some cool water. Add some oil and mix well   carefully with your hands so as to separate any stuck noodles. Keep aside for any excess water to drain. 

3.     Heat the oil in a wok. Saute garlic cloves. Then add onions and cook till pink.

4.     Now add capsicum, carrots and French beans. Add soy sauce, chili sauce, vinegar and MSG. Mix thoroughly. Cook on medium flame for 4-5 minutes. Now add salt and mix again.

5.      Add the noodles to the wok and mix carefully. I used spaghetti spoon and wooden spatula to mix the noodles. Add salt and half the spring onion greens and give a final stir.

6.     Remove from heat and garnish with the remaining spring onion greens. 

     Serve hot with a bowl of hot and sour soup and you will have a super happy husband- at least I had ;) You can serve it with Mixed veggies in butter pepper garlic sauce.