Vegetable Hakka Noodles/Vegetable Chowmein

hinese food definitely has its place on the menu of practically every restaurant in India. The fact to be noted here though is that over the last several decades as India gradually adopted this neighboring cuisine, barring a few key ingredients, the cuisine has taken a life of its own. So much so as to build a global identity and even aptly being named 'Indo-Chinese cuisine'.
Not just on menus of restaurants, this cuisine is so much a part of the Indian lifestyle now that with every couple of roadside push-cart food vendors selling  your usual pani-puri, kulfi or dosa-idli, you will find a cart that boasts of the best chilli chicken or hakka noodles among other things.
Chinese food here in the US sure is different. Your veg. lo-mein from the local Chinese place that comes in that iconic chinese food carton, tastes great but after you are a few digs into it, you sure get reminded of the corner chinese-wala back home and the sound of the sizzling noodles in his wok on his stove-top and the makeshift push cart that showed up on that very corner religiously every day at five in the evening.

Ingredients: Serves 2
Instant noodles/Hakka Noodles .......... 8 oz pkt cooked (egg or veg)
Oil ............................................ 2 tbsp + 1 tsp
Garlic ........................................ 2 tsp, minced
Ginger ....................................... 1 tsp, minced
Onion ........................................ 1 small, sliced thin
Carrot ....................................... 1 medium, cut into matchsticks
Green beans ................................ 10-12 cut
Cabbage .................................... 1/2 cups packed, shredded
Bell Pepper ................................. 1 medium, cut into strips
Mushroom ................................... 8-10 cut
Black Pepper ............................... 1/2 tsp or to taste
Soy Sauce ................................... 2 tbsp or to taste
White Vinegar .............................. 1 tsp
Ketchup ..................................... 2 tbsp
Chinese Chilli sauce ...................... 1 tbsp to taste
Green Onions ............................... 2-3 stalks, cut diagonally – for garnishing
Salt if needed

Method:
1. Cook noodles al dente as per package instructions ( 2-3 minutes), drain, rinse with cold water and toss with 1 tsp oil. Keep aside till it cools to room temperature.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large wok or pan on high heat.
3. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add onions and cook for a minute.
5. Add mushrooms and allow them to get light brown.
6. Add cabbage, bell pepper and carrot and cook for few minutes.
7. Now add  in the noodles.
9. Add in the black pepper, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup and chili sauce. Mix well noodles are well coated and cook for 1-2 minutes.This is the time you can give it a taste and adjust the sauces to your liking.
10. Garnish with green onions and serve hot. ENJOY!

NOTES:

1.Use any vegetables of your choice like bean sprouts, baby corn, snap peas, chestnuts,  and even fried tofu.

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Announcing the winner of the New Year Giveaway
The prize, a cookbook from the amazing Anjum Anand, goes to -
Hannah 
Congratulations! Please contact me separately on my email with your mailing address and I will send you prize over to you.

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