Milk Noodles: Instant noodles with coconut milk

As I always say, learning is an ongoing process. This particular recipe, which I learnt from my daughter. Yes! You heard it right 😀 Here, she has used coconut milk powder, which is an easy option for a hostller.

Instant noodles can be a super tasty, comforting meal by themselves if we consider replacing it with a little healthier option by opting for millet noodles and some tossed veggies. When I heard milk and the explanation of the recipe, I was a little hesitant. After tasting it, I can tell you; it was creamy and delicious. I felt the addition of curry leaves and coconut milk was a game-changer.

Here, I have used Instant Millet based noodles. One can opt for any preferred noodle and its masala for this recipe.

Ingredients:

A small pack of instant noodles – 1 ( with masala)

Onion – 1 ( slightly bigger pieces)

Garlic – ½ tsp (chopped)

Ginger – ½ tsp (chopped)

Green chilli – 1 (sliced)

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Coconut milk/powder– 1 sachet or as required

Chopped veggies – of your choice ( I used Carrot, green peas)

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – ½ tsp

black pepper powder – if needed ( optional)

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Sugar – to enhance the taste ( to balance)

Method:

-Take one tawa, heat a tbl spoon of oil, when it is hot, season with lots of curry leaves.

-Then, add chopped onion, green chilli, garlic, ginger fry for 2 min.

-Add turmeric, coriander powder, salt and add chopped veggies and green peas.

-Fry all these until veggies wilts. Add 2 cups of water, ready Maggi masala, and adjust the salt.

-Now, drop those noodle blocks, cook. When it is almost done, add coconut milk or coconut milk powder, add water to adjust the consistency.

-if you want some more zing, sprinkle a little pepper powder and serve.

 

 

 

 

Vegetable/Egg Soba Noodles:

Firstly, we will see what soba noodles is? Soba noodles are Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour. Buckwheat flour is greyish, so the noodles have a dull grey colour, and it is gluten-free. Due to this, noodle is slightly brittle.

 As 100% buckwheat, gluten-free noodle tends to break, people add some wheat flour when preparing their noodles. Using the noodles as is, with 100% buckwheat, I needed to be extra cautious while boiling and cooling.

Earlier I did try it by adding honey and sesame as well. The advantage of sweetened with honey, it is like a one-pot meal. No need for a side dish 😀

But, if you want to relish with side dishes, you can make a savoury version by adding veggies and opt to add a bit of scrambled egg as well. Soba noodles do not need much seasoning. It has its earthy flavour.

Now we will see how to cook noodles as well as the preparation.

Ingredients:

Soba noodles – 2 bundle

Spring onion bulbs or shallot – 2 tablespoons (chopped)

Veggies – 1 bowl ( beans, carrot, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum)

Salt

Pepper – little

Ginger – 1 tablespoon (juveniles) 

Garlic – 1 tablespoon (chopped) 

Soya sauce – 1 spoon

Vinegar – 1 spoon

Spring onion greens – to garnish (optional)

Method:

-Take water in a big vessel, add a little salt and a tsp of oil, boil. when water starts to boil, add noodles, and cook. When it Aldante, strain the water and keep it aside.

-Reserve the strained water to prepare side dish/Chinese curry (it is healthy as well as give an excellent texture to the prepared curry)

-Now cool the noodle and proceed towards seasoning.

-Take a wide wok, heat oil, fry garlic or ginger. You can add both as well. Add white spring onions or shallots and fry a little.

-Next, add chopped veggies, fry nicely. Add salt, soya sauce, vinegar, and fry for 2 minutes.

-Add cooled noodle and toss. Sprinkle salt, pepper and adjust the seasoning.

Suppose you are ok with the addition of egg, nothing like it. Go ahead, scramble a couple of eggs, add to noodle, serve your favourite Chinese side dish, or eat as it is and enjoy the wholesome meal.

Note: you can cook the noodle a little early and keep it under refrigeration. It gives an excellent result as well.

Soba Noodles with Vegetables in Honey based sauce:

Once again testing period for me. Yes!! I was keeping and not at all interested to cook these dull Soba noodles. My sister gave me this pack of soba noodles “to experiment” when I visited her this summer. Last week, she had asked about Soba and told me, she is waiting for the foolproof recipe. I had no option but to cook. I was hesitant at the beginning, by thinking about my ever-choosy daughter’s palate.

On the eve of Independence Day, I was thinking about something special for our menu. So, I thought of cooking this special noodle for the first time and made my own mixture by using Honey as a base.

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Honey did help to uplift the taste of soba noodles, which is otherwise very bland in taste.

First, we will see, what are Soba noodles. Soba noodles are Japanese noodles that are made from buckwheat flour. Buckwheat flour is greyish in colour so the noodles have that dull grey colour and it is gluten-free as well. Due to this, noodle is very brittle in nature.

As 100% buckwheat, gluten-free noodle tends to break, people do add some wheat flour when preparing their noodles. What I had was 100 % with buckwheat flour and needed extra caution while boiling and cooling.

Ingredients:

Soba noodles – 3 serving bundles

Vegetables – 1 bowl of your choice

white sesame seeds – 1 tablespoon

Corn flour – 1 tablespoon

Water – 3 tablespoons

Salt

Oil – 2 tablespoons

Sauce Mixture:

Sriracha sauce – 2 tablespoons

Rice/ plain vinegar – 2 tablespoons

Light soy sauce – 2 tablespoons

Honey – 5 to 6 tablespoons

Garlic – 1 ½ tablespoons (sliced)

Ginger – 2 teaspoons (grated)

Red chilli flakes – ½ teaspoon

Method:

 Make sauce mixture by Combining Sriracha, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, red chilli flakes, garlic and ginger in one bowl and keep aside to release its flavour.

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  Mix cornflour and water and keep aside.

   Dry roast sesame seeds and reserve this for garnishing.

  Boil water with one spoon of salt and oil. Put noodle, cook until al dente (it should cook and texture should be firm)

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  Drain the water, rinse the noodle in cold tap water.

  Collect one small cup of the drained water and keep it aside for next use.

   Chop vegetables according to your taste. Here I have used broccoli, beans, carrot, baby corn and zucchini.

   Take one wide Kadai, add oil. When it is hot, add chopped veggies and a little salt and fry for a while.

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  Add all the sauce mixture, cornflour mixed water and fry vigorously to avoid this to burn.

  If the mixture becomes very thick, add a little reserved cooked and drained water of noodles. Check for the salt. If needed add and adjust.

  When it starts boiling, add noodles and mix.

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Garnish with dry roasted sesame seeds and serve.

 

Vegetarian Thai Noodles: Gluten free and Vegan

This time when I had visited my sister, who stays in America, I got an opportunity to experiment with some new ingredients, veggies etc and I bought a couple of new items back home as well. This gluten free, Brown rice & millet ramen noodle is one of them.

When we were shopping, my eyes went to this noodle pack. I love to work with new ingredients and wanted to pick it up. After trying a couple of recipes, my daughter told me, how it should be. She asked me to prepare this as a little wet, soup kind. She said, regular kind of preparations tastes bland and it needs some flavoured soup to enhance the taste of this kind of sticky noodles and she was right. Ramen is a Japanese dish, consisting of a clear broth containing thin white noodles and sometimes vegetables, meat etc.

Finally, I came up with this, and got a green signal from my super-efficient critic!!! She said, hmmm yummy, go ahead and post: D

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Ingredients:

Noodles – 3 cakes

Shallots – 10

Baby corn -4

Carrot-1

Broccoli- couple of small florets

Ginger garlic paste – ½ tsp

Tomato sauce – 1tbl sp

Thai sweet chilli sauce – 1tbl sp

Sriracha sauce -1 tbl sp

Soy sauce -1 tbl sp

Cooked broth – 1 small cup

Salt

Sesame oil – 2 tbl sp

Basil leaves – 5 to 6

Roasted peanut halves – 1 table spoon

Method:

-Boil water with one spoon of salt and oil. Put noodle, cook until al dente (it should cook and texture should be firm)

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-Drain the water, rinse the noodle in cold tap water.

-Collect one small cup of drained water and keep aside for next use.

– Chop vegetables according to your taste.

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– wash basil and roast peanuts, remove skin and make halves and keep aside.

– Mix all the sauces in one small bowl and keep it ready

-Take one wide kadai, add sesame oil. When it is hot, add chopped shallots and fry for a while.

-Next, drop in all the veggies and fry for a while.

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-Add ginger garlic paste, fry until veggies are fried.

-Add all the sauce mixture and fry vigorously to avoid this to burn.

-Add reserved cooked and drained water of noodles. Check for the salt. If needed add and adjust.

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-When it starts boiling, add noodles and mix.

-Garnish with torn basil leaves and sprinkle roasted peanuts and serve.

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Note:

-You can use any noodles instead of gluten free noodle.