Vegan Kimchi Noodles Recipe

Delectable, quick, and easy— Vegan Kimchi Noodles, with loads of veggies, are one of my favourite meals. Add protein such as tofu, egg, chicken or shrimp for a complete weeknight dinner in 30 minutes.

A little about Kimchi Noodles

This recipe is a Maggi noodles makeover: an Indianised instant vegan kimchi. My recipe is made without the traditional Korean gochujang paste, rice vinegar and fish sauce. These medium–spicy, sweet and savoury, noodles are so delicious that I cannot wait to make them again.

You can easily halve, double or triple the recipe too.

If you’re like me, you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of K–Dramas. In one of the episodes in my latest fixations, the hero makes kimchi rice. Instantly, I wanted to try it. Be warned though, this is not a traditional Korean recipe but a fusion. This is my favourite way of cooking. If you’re interested, other fusion recipes I’ve tried are mock-hotpot, pav bhaji pasta, and barley risotto.

Ingredients

• Homemade instant vegan kimchi: You can buy some, but I just followed Chef Kunal Kapur's recipe here.
• Maggi 2-minute Instant Noodles: I used the masala noodles without the tastemaker. Cook them as per the instructions on the packet.
• Onions: I used a red onion but you can use white ones or shallots. 
• Ginger:  I used grated ginger. 
• Garlic: I used crushed garlic.
• Green chilli: An optional ingredient but I like the kick it gives.
• Vegetables of choice: I used button mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli and red bell pepper, baby corn, purple cabbage, and carrots.
• Sesame oil: I have used sesame seed oil. Just remember to use oil that has no strong smell.
• Sesame seeds: I toasted them for the garnish.

Method

• Boil the noodles as per the instructions on the pack. Move them to a large bowl or a colander and rinse with cold water. This stops the cooking. Add some oil and toss the noodles. This prevents the noodles from sticking together in a clump. Set aside.
• Wash and cut your veggies. Make bite-sized pieces of cauliflower and broccoli. Cut the bigger mushrooms into 4 pieces and the smaller ones into 2. Slice the baby corn into small sticks and use a peeler to make the carrots into fine strips. If you have a good peeler, use it to shred the cabbage into long pieces. Otherwise, a knife will do.
• Combine the crushed ginger, garlic and chilli into a paste. Heat oil in a wok and saute this paste until the raw smell disappears. Then, add the onions and stir fry on high flame till translucent.
• Add the mushrooms and saute on high flame till the mushrooms are almost done. Mushrooms release water on cooking, so let it evaporate.
• Next, add cauliflower and broccoli and saute thoroughly. Sprinkle a dash of salt and mix.
• If the cauliflower is tender stir-fry it on high flame. If it isn’t cover the pan and cook it until it softens.
• Add the kimchi and mix well. Personally, I started with ½ cup of kimchi but needed ¼ cup more. Rinse the bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of water and add to a wok. 
• Make a small well in the centre of your sauteed vegetables and add the cooked noodles, capsicum, carrots, and purple cabbage.
• Mix gently while taking care not to break the noodles. 
• Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Substitution

• I have used instant noodles, but you can use rice noodles,  hakka noodles, soba, udon, or ramen noodles. Cook them as per instructions.
• Use veggies of your choice. Beans, asparagus, and bok choy are good options.
• Use tofu, paneer, or eggs for other proteins. Chicken, shrimp or bacon are your non-vegetarian options.
• In place of sesame seed oil, you can use butter. But naturally, this is not vegan.

Variations

• Spicy- Use more kimchi if you like spicy food. 
• Kid-friendly- These vegan kimchi noodles are mildly spicy and kid-friendly. But you can use lesser kichi if you are sensitive to spicy or fermented food.
• You can always use the kimchi to make fried rice. Scramble an egg into it and you have a one-pot meal ready.

Protips 

• The noodles need to be cooked al dente. If you overcook the noodles, drain and run them with cold water to stop cooking. Next, spread the noodles out thinly on a tray, sprinkle some flour and toss them.  Add 2-3 tablespoon oil (start with 1 tablespoon and add as needed). Toss them and leave them flat again till they become firmer.
• If you have some leftover kimchi rinse the container with little water and use the water to flavour your noodles.
• Leftover kimchi can be used as a pickle I love it with my rotis or with hot rice.

Equipment

• Cutting Board and knife
• Peeler
• Wok
• Bowls 
• Ladles and spoons 

Storing Suggestions

• Leftover kimchi noodles stay good in the fridge for 2-3 days. Store in an airtight container. Reheat the noodles with a sprinkle of water. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stove/induction cooktop. 

FAQ's

• Are Kimchi noodles vegetarian?

  

  Kimchi is a condiment or side dish made from pickled and fermented vegetables. Fish sauce or brined shrimp is added as flavouring. Strictly speaking, neither vegetarians nor vegans can enjoy traditional kimchi. In the same parallel, traditional kimchi noodles are not vegetarian. This is where my recipe will come into play! This is a vegetarian kimchi recipe for both, vegetarians and vegans.

• Are Kimchi noodles healthy?

  

  The number of veggies and the protein that you can include in the dish make it healthy.

• Can we make kimchi noodles gluten-free?

  

  Yes, you can. Simply use gluten-free noodles.
  

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Every month I participate in Shhh! Secretly Cooking where we are paired with other members for Secret Ingredients around a certain theme. This month Kalyani's theme was Noodles but not Noodles. We were to use Indian Vermicelli or Asian Noodles in a hatke(differently) avatar. Check her recipe for Semiya Upma Cutlet for the theme.

I was paired with Sasmita who with beetroot and ginger my secret ingredients made an amazing colourful chilla. Sasmita gave me Sesame oil and broccoli and so my choice was effortless.

Summary- This Vegan Kimchi Noodles recipe makes for a delightful (and delightfully quick) meal on those lazy days. It’s full of nutrients and proteins in a kid-friendly way. It’s also bachelor-friendly as you are not left with too many dishes to clean after. 

📋 Recipe

Vegan Kimchi Noodles Recipe

Kimchi noodles are made with desi Kimchi, Maggi noodles, and vegetables. A vegetarian stir-fried recipe made in 30 minutes.

5 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Saved Recipe!

Course: Brunch, Dinner

Cuisine: Fusion

Keyword: Easy Dinner ready under #30minutes, Fusion dishes, Noodles and Pasta, Quick Meal

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 5 people

Calories:

Author: ArchanaPotdar

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Equipment

• 1 Cutting Board and knife
• 1 Peeler
• 1 Wok
• Bowls
• Ladles and spoons

Ingredients

• ¾ cup homemade instant vegan kimchi
• 2 Maggi noodle cakes
• 1 onion diced
• 1 teaspoon ginger crushed
• 3 teaspoon garlic crushed
• ½ teaspoon green chilli crushed, optional
• 3 cups veggies I used mushrooms cauliflower, broccoli, red bell pepper, purple cabbage, carrot
• 4 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions

Prep:

• Boil the noodles as per the instructions. Since my noodles absorb all water when cooked I transferred them to a sieve and ran cold water on them. Then toss them in oil and set them aside.
• Chop the onions and veggies. Crush the garlic, ginger and green chillies.

The Cooking:

• Heat oil in a wok and saute the garlic, ginger and green chilli till the raw smell goes away.
• Stir-fry the onions till translucent on high flame and lightly golden.
• Stir-fry the mushrooms on high flame till they wilt.
• Add the cauliflower and broccoli sprinkle a dash of salt and saute.
• Add the kimchi and mix well. Rinse the kimchi bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Add this water to the wok.
• Make a well and add the baby corn, noodles, purple cabbage, and carrots and toss well.Take care to not break the noodles.
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds and keep covered for 5 minutes.
• I served it with sliced cucumber. But you can top it with fried egg, boiled eggs or fried tofu.

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