If you’ve grown up in India, you know what I’m talking about :D So what’s your favourite memory of eating vegetable hakka noodles? Mine is walking down from college in Kolkata at lunch time to the ‘chowmein man’ (because that’s what he was called!) and gorging on a giant plate of spicy oily moreish noodles with a ladle full of gravy sloshed on top. Set my mouth on fire and made my nose run, but boy were those noodles good!! I have no idea how he made them and I’m not even going to try - some memories need to remain just that :)

Here’s my version of India’s much loved street food - vegetable hakka noodles! It’s vegetarian and vegan, incidentally.

Serves 2

What you need

• 1 inch ginger, grated

• 5-6 garlic cloves, sliced fine

• 1 red onion, sliced fine

• 1/2 head of a small cabbage, sliced fine

• 1 green pepper, sliced fine

• 1/2 large carrot sliced fine (shavings are great too)

• 6 chestnut or closed-cup mushrooms, sliced fine

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 4 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp siracha sauce

• 1 tbsp ketchup

• Salt and pepper

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 egg noodle nests

• 2 spring onions

What you do

1. Add the noodle nests to a large saucepan of boiling water, and boil on medium-high for 5-6 minutes until cooked. Drain and set aside

2. Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a large wok on high

3. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a few seconds, until starting to brown

4. Then the onions, and fry for a few minutes until softened

5. Then the cabbage, and fry for a few minutes until starting to soften

6. Then the peppers, and fry for a few minutes until starting to soften

7. Then the mushrooms, and sauté for a few minutes

8. Then the carrots, and again sauté until softened

9. Then the beaten eggs, and stir to scramble

10. When the eggs are cooked and no longer sticking to the vegetables, in go all the sauces. Toss and mix well

11. Then the noodles. Toss and mix well. If it’s all a bit dry, drizzle a little more oil

12. Salt and pepper - toss and mix

13. Spring onions last - toss and mix

14. Serve up piping hot :D

That’s it! Man, my mouth is watering now!

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