Below is a detailed guide that walks you through making fresh and dried wheat noodles at home in India, what small equipment you’ll need, basic small-scale machine components if you want to step up production, and a few Indian suppliers for machines and raw materials you can contact.

1. Quick overview — home-friendly method

Basic Wheat Noodles (vegetarian, no eggs) — simple, low-cost, easy to scale a little by hand. Good as fresh or air-dried noodles.

I’ll give step-by-step recipes and production tips for both, then cover equipment, small machinery for scaled production, suppliers, storage, and hygiene/food-safety notes.

2) Method — Basic wheat noodles (simple, low cost)

Yield: ~1 kg flour gives ~0.85–0.9 kg finished noodles (fresh).
Ingredients (for ~1 kg flour batch):

• Maida / all-purpose flour: 1 kg
• Salt: 12–15 g (about 1.2–1.5% of flour)
• Cooking oil (vegetable) or melted shortening: 20–30 g (2–3% of flour) — improves dough handling and texture
• Water: 350–420 ml (35–42% hydration) — adjust to get a firm but pliable dough
• Optional: a little semolina/sooji (50–100 g) blended with maida for bite

Why these proportions? Home wheat noodles are typically firmer (lower hydration) than pasta — 35–42% water gives a workable dough that rolls thin without sticking. Salt and oil help texture and shelf life slightly.

3) Step-by-step (hand / kitchen method):

a) Weigh & mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine 1 kg maida + salt. If using semolina, mix it in (e.g., 900 g maida + 100 g semolina).

b) Add oil. Pour the oil over the flour and rub with your fingers so the flour gets slightly coated — this reduces stickiness.

c) Add water gradually. Add ~300 ml water to start, mix with a spoon or hand. Add more water in small amounts until you reach a firm dough (should not be sticky). For 1 kg flour expect ~350–420 ml total.

d) Knead. Turn onto a clean surface and knead 8–12 minutes until smooth and elastic. Good gluten development helps noodle chew.

e) Rest. Cover dough with damp cloth or plastic wrap and rest 20–30 minutes (relaxes gluten — easier to roll).

f) Roll out. Divide into pieces. Roll thin with a rolling pin or use a small manual pasta machine to progressively thinner settings. Aim for sheet thickness ~1–1.5 mm for typical noodles.

g) Cut noodles. Dust with flour or semolina to prevent sticking. Fold the sheet lightly (don’t compress) and cut strips with a sharp knife for broad noodles, or use a pasta cutter/attachment for thinner strands.

h) Drying (option A — fresh noodles): Use immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days in airtight container.
i) Drying (option B — air dry for storage): Hang or spread on trays in a clean, ventilated place away from dust and direct sunlight. For thin strands, 8–24 hours may suffice depending on humidity. Ensure fully dry before storing.

j) Cooking: Boil in salted water 2–5 minutes depending on thickness (test a strand). Fresh noodles cook much faster than dried.

Notes & tips:

• If dough feels too soft, add a little more flour in small amounts; if too crumbly, add a tablespoon of water at a time.
• For chewier noodles, increase hydration slightly or add a small percentage (1–2%) of oil of soda (lye water) — only if you understand food safety and local regulations. (I recommend avoiding chemicals at home unless experienced.)
• Use semolina dusting to prevent sticking during drying and cutting — gives better mouthfeel.

4) Small equipment and simple tools for home or small scale

a) Basic home tools (must-have):

• Large mixing bowl
• Weighing scale (accurate to 1–5 g)
• Rolling pin (belan) or small hand pasta machine (manual)
• Sharp knife or bench scraper (for cutting)
• Clean trays or racks for drying
• Kitchen cloths, silicone mats (for hygienic surfaces)
• Airtight storage containers

b) Upgrades / semi-small-scale equipment (if producing 10–100 kg/day):

• Dough mixer / planetary mixer (for consistent kneading)
• Dough sheeter / roller (to roll continuous sheets uniformly)
• Noodle cutter (attachment to cut various widths)
• Steamer / pre-cooker (for instant noodle lines that require pre-cooking)
• Continuous dryer (controlled temperature/humidity tunnel dryer for consistent drying)
• Fryer (for instant fried noodles) or dehydrator (for non-fried instant)
• Weighing & packaging machine (for portioning and packing)

A typical small commercial noodle line is modular: mixer > kneader > sheeter > cutter > steamer/dryer > packer.

5) Typical machine components (terms to know)

• Roller assembly / sheeter plates
• Extruder barrel and die (for extruded noodle shapes)
• Cutting knives or rotary cutters
• Conveyor belt and guides
• Control panel (PLC) and motors
• Steam chamber / fryer / dryer tunnels
• Cooling conveyors and flour dusting system

If you want to scale beyond home production these are the components you’ll encounter when buying a small plant.

6) Machine mapping for above mentioned Method to make wheat based Veg noodles (simple, low cost)

Here we are giving info about what kind of process/activities needs to be done at each stage. Though we are giving Noodles making process which is suitable for home based manaufacturing, we are also giving info about how process can be scaled to achieve more profits by making more using right machines at right stage.

a) Recipe formulation & weighing

Purpose: accurate proportions (flour : water : salt : oil) gives consistent dough

• Home / Manual
  • Tools: tabletop digital kitchen scale (precision 1–5 g), measuring jugs/spoons, notepad.
  • How: weigh flour, salt, oil, water separately and place into bowl or on table.
• Semi-auto / Small plant
  • Tools: platform/bench scale (30–150 kg capacity), stainless-steel dosing scoops, ingredients bins.
  • Notes: use color-coded scoops for allergen control, maintain tare weights.
• Industrial
  • Tools: load cells with hopper-feed, automatic batching/weighing system (PLC controlled).
  • Benefit: repeatable automated batches, quicker feed to mixer.

Tip: All food contact surfaces should be stainless steel (SS304). Keep a simple batch card (date, recipe, operator).

b) Mixing / Pre-blending dry ingredients

Purpose: uniform distribution of salt, semolina (if used), and oil coating before hydration

• Home
  • Tools: large stainless bowl, spatula, or hand mixing.
  • Method: mix dry ingredients thoroughly for 2–3 min.
• Semi-auto
  • Tools: ribbon blender or paddle mixer for dry blending.
  • Benefit: faster, ensures even spread of oil and seasoning.
• Industrial
  • Tools: continuous blenders / automated feeders ahead of dough mixer.

Troubleshoot: uneven mixing gives lumps in dough; use finer semolina or increase blending time.

c) Hydration & Kneading (dough development)

Purpose: hydrate flour, develop gluten for good chew and elasticity

• Home
  • Tools: hand kneading on table or stand mixer (if available).
  • Time: 8–12 minutes hand-knead until smooth, elastic dough.
  • Indicators: dough pulls without tearing, springy.
• Semi-auto
  • Tools: planetary mixer (dough hook) or spiral mixer (preferred for high hydration and gluten development).
  • Components: stainless bowl, dough hook, variable speed motor.
  • Time: 4–8 minutes depending on capacity.
• Industrial
  • Tools: continuous dough mixer or industrial spiral mixers (20–200+ kg batches).
  • Note: mixers sometimes have cooling jackets to control dough temperature.

Parameters: keep dough temperature <30°C (hand heat can warm it). Over-kneading makes dough sticky, under-kneading makes it crumbly.

d) Dough resting / tempering

Purpose: relax gluten — easier sheeting / rolling and better texture

• Home
  • Tools: covered bowl on bench, damp cloth or plastic wrap.
  • Time: 20–30 minutes (can be refrigerated short rest if needed).
• Semi-auto
  • Tools: dough hopper with low-shear holding or resting cabinet.
  • Benefit: uniform rest time between batches.
• Industrial
  • Tools: tempering conveyors or resting bins with controlled temperature.

Note: short rest improves rollability and reduces shrimping (noodle curlback).

e) Sheet forming — two common routes

Two paths to form noodle strands:
i) Sheeting & Cutting (traditional wheat noodles) — roll dough into sheets then cut.
ii) Extrusion (continuous noodles) — extrude dough through a die as strands.

i) Sheeting (sheet > cut)

• Home
  • Tools: rolling pin (belan) or tabletop manual pasta roller.
  • Method: flatten dough, fold and re-roll to smooth, pass through pasta machine to desired thickness.
  • Target thickness: 1–1.5 mm for common noodles; adjust to preference.
• Semi-auto
  • Tools: dough sheeter / roller machine (adjustable rollers).
  • Components: feed table, roller gap adjustment, flour dusting port.
  • Capacity: small sheeters 20–100 kg/hr.
• Industrial
  • Tools: heavy-duty sheeter with automatic feed and metered outfeed.
  • Note: sheeters give very uniform thickness — important for drying and cooking consistency.

ii) Extrusion (dough > strands)

• Home
  • Tools: small hand-cranked extruder/pasta press (limited).
  • Use: better for shapes, not necessary for simple flat noodles.
• Semi-auto / Industrial
  • Tools: single-screw or twin-screw extruder with die plate (noodle die).
  • Components: extrusion barrel, screw, die, cutter assembly.
  • Advantages: continuous production, can handle higher hydration, uniform strand diameter.

Choice: For a small home/micro setup, sheeting + cutting is simpler and lower cost. For continuous higher throughput, choose extruder.

f) Cutting / strand formation

Purpose: convert sheets or extruded rope into target noodle width and length

• Home
  • Tools: sharp chef’s knife, bench scraper, hand pasta cutter/wheel.
  • Method: dust sheet with semolina, fold lightly, cut strips evenly.
• Semi-auto
  • Tools: noodle cutter attachment (rotary cutter or multi-blade cutter) attached to sheeter or separate cutting machine.
  • Components: adjustable blade spacing for widths (thin, medium, broad).
• Industrial
  • Tools: high-speed rotary cutter, synchronized with conveyor speed for slitting and length cutting.

Tip: dust with semolina or flour to prevent stickiness and clumping.

g) Dusting / separating / anti-stick

Purpose: prevent strands from sticking during handling/drying

• Home
  • Tools: fine semolina or flour, sprinkling sieve, trays.
  • Method: sprinkle immediately after cutting, separate into small bundles.
• Semi-auto
  • Tools: flour duster (mechanical blower) or vibrating separator that shakes off excess flour.
  • Benefit: uniform dusting, less waste.
• Industrial
  • Tools: fluidized dusting systems, mechanical shake conveyors.

h) Optional — Steam / pre-cook (only if making instant/par-cooked noodles)

Purpose: partial gelatinization of starch (instant noodles require this)

• Home
  • Not typical. Avoid unless you understand food safety.
• Semi-auto / Industrial
  • Tools: steam tunnel / continuous steamer (conveyorized), pressure steamers.
  • Parameters: short steam (several seconds to minutes) depending on product.

Warning: If you pre-cook, ensure rapid downstream frying/drying to control microbial risk. This step is not required for simple dried fresh noodles.

i) Drying (critical for shelf-stability)

Purpose: remove moisture to target final moisture (shelf-stable noodles = appx 8–12% moisture)

• Home
  • Tools: drying racks, clean trays, hangers; well-ventilated room or fan.
  • Method: spread bundles loosely, avoid direct sunlight and insects.
  • Time: 8–48 hours depending on humidity and strand thickness.
• Semi-auto
  • Tools: cabinet/tray dryer or small hot-air cabinet (electric or gas) with thermostatic control.
  • Parameters: 40–60°C hot air, controlled airflow; target final moisture “Less than”/”equal to” 12%.
  • Capacity: small cabinet dryers 20–200 kg per cycle.
• Industrial
  • Tools: continuous tunnel dryer with staged temperature & humidity control.
  • Parameters: multi-stage drying (gentle initial drying, higher temp later) to avoid cracks and loss of texture.

Key: Dry too fast gives surface case hardening and cracks; dry too slow can give microbial risk. Use a moisture meter to confirm.

j) Cooling & stabilization

Purpose: cool product to room temperature before packing to avoid condensation

• Home
  • Let dried noodles sit on open racks until cool and dry.
• Semi-auto / Industrial
  • Tools: cooling conveyor (forced air) or overnight stabilization room.

k) Frying or final dehydration (only for instant noodles)

Purpose: give instant noodles their characteristic texture and shelf stability

• Home
  • Not recommended.
• Semi-auto / Industrial
  • Tools: continuous fryer (oil) or hot-air dehydration tunnel.
  • Note: frying requires oil recovery systems, filtration, precise temp control (~140–165°C) and food safety protocols.

l) Seasoning (if making flavored packets)

Purpose: coat noodles or prepare separate seasoning sachets

• Home
  • Tools: mixing bowl for seasoning, manual filling of sachets.
• Semi-auto
  • Tools: tumble seasoning drum (coating drum) or vibratory seasoning applicator.
  • For sachets: small sachet filling machines.
• Industrial
  • Tools: automated seasoning systems, multihead weighers for sachets.

m) Portioning & weighing (final packs)

Purpose: accurate pack weight (e.g., 100 g per pouch)

• Home
  • Tools: digital weighing scale (0.1–1 g accuracy), scoop or cup measuring.
  • Method: weigh each portion and place into pouch.
• Semi-auto
  • Tools: volumetric fillers or small multi-head weighers for solids (fast and accurate).
  • Benefit: consistent fill weights and faster throughput.

n) Packaging / sealing

Purpose: protect product from moisture, insects; provide branding & labeling

• Home
  • Tools: hand sealer (impulse sealer) or band sealer; pre-printed pouches purchased from supplier.
  • Material: laminated food-grade pouches (PET/AL/LDPE or PET/MPET/LDPE).
• Semi-auto
  • Tools: vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) machine for premade pouches or premade pouch sealer.
  • Components: film roll holder, forming tube, sealing jaws, date coder.
• Industrial
  • Tools: high-speed FFS systems, rotary sealing, automatic case packers.

Note: Use oxygen/moisture barrier film if long shelf-life required. Include date code & batch number.

o) Labeling & date coding

• Home: manual label printer or hand-sticker.
• Semi-auto/Industrial: thermal inkjet coder / label applicator integrated with packaging line.

p) Storage & dispatch

• Home: airtight containers or sealed cartons in cool, dry place; keep off floor on pallets.
• Commercial: pallet racking, FIFO system, pest control.

q) Cleaning, sanitation & maintenance

• Home: wash tools daily with food-safe detergent + sanitize; air dry.
• Semi-auto / Industrial: scheduled cleaning, CIP (clean-in-place) for continuous lines (if present), food-grade lubricants for bearings, spare blades.
• Material advice: all food contact parts—prefer SS304; fasteners should be stainless; belts and gaskets food-grade.

7)  Quick summary table (step > recommended machine options)

a) Weighing > kitchen scale / bench platform scale / automatic weigh hopper

b) Dry blending > bowl / ribbon blender / continuous blender

c) Kneading > hand / planetary spiral mixer / continuous mixer

d) Resting > bench rest / hopper / tempering bin

e) Sheet forming > rolling pin / manual pasta roller / dough sheeter / extruder (alternative)

f) Cutting > knife / hand cutter / rotary cutter / extruder cutter

g) Dusting > manual dusting / mechanical flour duster / automated dusting system

h) Steam (optional) > no / household steamer / steam tunnel

i) Drying > racks / cabinet dryer / tunnel dryer

j) Cooling > room air / cooling conveyor

k) Frying (instant) > none / small fryer / continuous fryer

l) Seasoning > hand mix / coating drum / automated seasoning system

m) Weighing (portioning) > hand scale / multihead weighers

n) Packaging > hand sealer / benchtop band sealer / VFFS machine

o) Labeling > hand stickers / inkjet coder / automatic labeler

p) Storage > containers / crates / racking

8)  Practical operating parameters & targets (useful quick reference)

• Kneading: 8–12 min (hand) or 4–8 min (mechanical) until smooth & elastic.
• Rest: 20–30 min (bench).
• Sheet thickness target: 1–1.5 mm (adjust by noodle type).
• Drying temp: 40–60°C (gradual); final moisture target “less than or Equal to” 12% for shelf-stable dried noodles.
• Pack weight accuracy: ±1–2 g for small packs (use multihead weigher for speed/accuracy).
• Food contact material: SS304

9)  Common problems & machine-related troubleshooting

• Dough too sticky: reduce hydration or increase oil slightly; check mixer speed and time.
• Noodles glue together on drying: insufficient dusting or overcrowded racks; improve airflow and add semolina dust.
• Surface cracks in dry noodles: too-high drying temp or too-rapid airflow > slow down drying or use multiple drying stages.
• Uneven thickness: faulty sheeter gap or uneven hand rolling — calibrate rollers and maintain even feed.
• Inconsistent fill weights: faulty portioner or operator error — use a multihead weigher or calibrate volumetric filler.

10)                    Final practical recommendation

• For home / low-volume (friends, local market, up to a few 100 packs/week): use weighing scale > hand/stand mixer > rolling pin or small pasta roller > knife > racks > hand sealer. Low cost, flexible, good control.
• For micro-business (1,000–5,000 packs per week): invest in planetary/spiral mixer > dough sheeter > rotary cutter > cabinet/tunnel dryer (small) > multihead weigher > VFFS/benchtop sealer. This reduces labor and increases consistency.

If you plan to do instant fried noodles or >100 kg/hr throughput, move to an extruder then steamer then fryer/continuous dryer then  automatic packer line and get supplier turnkey quotes.

11) Suppliers in India (machines & raw materials)

Below are examples of Indian manufacturers and raw material suppliers you can contact. (Listed to help you start enquiries — confirm specs, prices, and after-sales before purchase.)

a) Noodle / pasta / instant noodle machine manufacturers (India):

• Prime Machinery India — lists automatic noodles making machines (various roller configurations). primemachineryindia.com
• Rising / Rising Machinery — instant noodle plants & production lines (machine capacities and tunnel dryers). risingmachinery.com
• SBS Machine / SBS — semi-automatic noodles making machines (rollers, cutters). sbsmachine.com
• KGN Industry — semi automatic noodle extruders and chowmein machines (Delhi). KGN Industry
• Trade platforms (for multiple manufacturers): TradeIndia — directory of instant noodle machine manufacturers and sellers in India (useful to compare vendors). Trade india

b) Pasta / commercial equipment retailers (smaller kitchen machines):

• Micro Industries / KP Automations — pasta makers and small commercial lines. thefoodprocessingmachine.com kpautomations.in

c) Raw material suppliers (India):

• Semolina / durum semolina (rawa / sooji) — Shree Navshakti Flour Mills and others listed on trade directories. Use durum semolina for more bite. navshaktiflourmills.com
• Maida / Refined wheat flour — many wholesale suppliers listed on ExportersIndia / TradeIndia / Agro Factory — good places to source 50 kg bags for small business. Example listings and price indications available. agro-factory.com

How to use these resources: browse the vendor pages above, request machine brochures, ask for capacities (kg/hr), material grade (SS304 recommended for food contact), warranty, installation and spares support, and local references.

12) What are instant noodles (industrial style) — overview only

Industrial instant noodles involve: dough mixing  then sheeting/extrusion then steaming (pre-cook) then cutting then frying or hot-air dehydrating then seasoning/packaging. These steps require dedicated machinery (steamers, fryers, continuous dryers) and careful controls for safety and shelf life. If you plan to move toward packaged instant products, consult a turnkey supplier (the manufacturers listed above provide such lines). boticsindustries.com  risingmachinery.com

13) Storage & shelf life

• Fresh noodles (refrigerated): 1–2 days in airtight container.
• Air-dried noodles (fully dried): months if stored dry and airtight, away from insects and moisture. Make sure dryness is uniform before packing.
• Hygiene: use food-grade packaging, store in cool dry place. For commercial sales, follow FSSAI guidelines for labeling and safety.

14) Hygiene, safety & regulatory

• If selling commercially in India, register and comply with FSSAI food safety requirements (licenses, labeling, shelf-life testing, regular hygiene checks). For a home business, check local/state municipal rules — some towns require commercial kitchens to be separate from living spaces.

15) Suggested simple starter checklist to begin at home

a) Decide recipe (egg or plain wheat).

b) Buy quality maida (or mix with semolina). Source 50 kg bags from a wholesale supplier. navshaktiflourmills.com

c) Get basic tools: mixer (optional), pasta roller or rolling pin, cutter, drying racks.

d) Produce small test batches, note drying times in your local humidity.

e) Keep simple records: batch date, recipes, yields, storage method.

f) When ready to scale, request quotes from machine suppliers (Prime Machinery, Rising, SBS, KGN, etc.) and ask for references and installation details. KGN Industry

16) Costing Plan for Home-Based Noodle Manufacturing

• Manual tools (rolling pin, knife, trays, hand sealer).
• Small kitchen utilities you already likely own.
• Raw materials & packaging (recurring).
• Licensing & hygiene basics (minimum legal requirements in India).

a) One-Time (Capital) Expenses

These are must-have for a hygienic, sellable product at home scale.

Item	Why Needed	Approx. Cost (Rs)
Rolling pin + large board	For flattening dough	500
Sharp knives / hand pasta cutter	For cutting uniform strands	1,000
Drying trays or racks (stainless/food-grade)	Essential for drying noodles hygienically	5,000 – 8,000
Digital kitchen scale (5–10 kg)	For portioning packs	1,500
Heat sealer (hand/band sealer)	To seal pouches airtight	3,000 – 6,000
Stainless steel bowls, storage bins, utensils	To knead, mix, store ingredients	5,000
Hygiene kit (aprons, gloves, hairnets)	Required for FSSAI compliance	1,500
Basic FSSAI License	Mandatory for food business	100 – 2,000

Total one-time compulsory setup: ~Rs 18,000 – Rs 25,000

(No industrial noodle machine needed at this scale.)

b) Monthly Recurring Costs

These are expenses you must pay each month (mostly materials & basics).

Item	Qty (for ~1,000 packs × 100 g)	Rate	Cost (Rs)
Maida (flour)	111 kg	Rs 30/kg	3,333
Salt	1.7 kg	Rs 50/kg	83
Vegetable oil	2.8 L	Rs 140/L	389
Seasoning/masala	2 kg	Rs 200/kg	400
Packaging pouches	1,000 pcs	Rs 6/pc	6,000
Labels (basic printed)	1,000 pcs	Rs 0.30 each	300
Utilities (gas, electricity, water)	Shared household usage	500
Cleaning & hygiene consumables	Sanitizers, gloves, cloths	200

Total recurring batch cost (1,000 packs): ~Rs 11,205

c) Optional Small Monthly Costs

(Only if selling outside your local circle)

Item	Cost (Rs)
Local transport / delivery	1,000 – 2,000
Small-scale marketing (flyers, WhatsApp ads)	500 – 1,000

d) Cost of Production (per 1,000 packs of 100 g)

• Total cost per batch (compulsory only) = ~Rs 11,205
• Cost per pack = ~Rs 11.20

e) Net Profit Calculation

Use the formula:

Net Profit = (Selling Price × Packs) – Total Cost

Example:

• Selling price/pack = Rs 25
• Revenue (1,000 packs) = Rs 25,000
• Total cost (batch) = Rs 11,205
• Net profit = Rs 13,795

f) Scaling to Monthly

If you do 8 batches/month:

• Revenue = Rs 25,000 × 8 = Rs 2,00,000
• Total cost = Rs 11,205 × 8 = Rs 89,640
• Net profit = Revenue (-) Total Cost
• = Rs 2,00,000/- (-) Rs 89,640/-
• Rs 1,10,360/month (before personal labor value).

17) Key Takeaways

• Machines are not compulsory for noodles at home — you can do everything manually with kitchen tools.
• One-time setup cost: ~Rs 20k (not lakhs).
• Per-pack cost (100 g): ~Rs 11.
• At Rs 25 selling price will be  ~Rs 14 profit per pack.
• Home-based noodle making is viable as a micro food business, especially for local sales.