For several years, I was ignorant to the earthly pleasure of wolfing a serving of the simple maggi noodles...maybe it had something to do with the way that my sister used to cook it up for me (my mother being too traditional & orthodox to attempt any such thing)...
After I married, my wife who was a fan of the ubiquitous above said food form took to purchasing & consuming several packets of maggi masala noodles...I still firmly held back, traumatised as I still was by my earlier experiences...however being the better half of a working couple, my wife one day pleaded off from cooking dinner after a long & stressful day at the office...I finally succumbed, unable to bear the rumblings of a near empty stomach & unwilling to ask her to cook just for me...
My wife prepared two servings of maggi noodles cooked in the barest & basic of ways (as prescribed on the packet), boiling water being an added ingredient to those already in the packet...I found the fare quite tasty & convenient...
Since then I have prepared & eaten maggi several times, albeit not deviating much from the basic manner of preparation...sometimes as an alternative to breakfast, lunch or dinner, other times just to satisfy my craving for it and a few times as a filler in between meals...
An year or so ago, I noticed that my office cafeteria was serving cheese maggi in addition to the regular maggie...i discovered that many people prefer a healthy amount of grated cheese on top of the noodles & I just had to try it out...since cheese it one of my favourite foods alongside maggi, a combination of both was pure ecstasy to me...
Now I know that these noodles, though scrumptious are not the healthiest of food to be consumed as they are made of refined flour (or maida) and contain a negligent amount of nutrition...if you eat more than two servings of maggi in a single day, your digestive system is bound to protest...it is composed mostly of empty calories, no fibre & combined with cheese, its fattening as hell !
My wife had once tried tossing in a few veggies in the boiling water to make it more wholesome, but the result was too bland & unappetising...therefore when she announced that her workplace cafeteria serves up a impressive version of the dish with vegetables & peas and she was determined to find out how they manage it, I egged her on...
It seems that you are supposed to fry the extras before adding water with a pinch of salt & chilly powder...armed with this knowledge & a bit of ingenuity, this is my latest cooking version of maggie - stir-fry onions & cabbage (cut in thin, long strips not chopped finely), peas (the fresher, the better), carrots, bell peppers (also called as simla-mirchi), tomato and any other vegetables you can think off...in my personal opinion, its better if you chop the vegetables to resemble the noodles except for the tomato which has to be minced finely...
Add some salt & chilly powder...after a few minutes, add two cups of water (1 1/2 cups, if you prefer it dry)...if you add more water it gives a soupy texture...when water boils add the tastemaker, stir well to avoid lumps & chuck in the noodles...cook well over a low flame...add some cilantro on top...
I always add a liberal amount of cheese...i dont prefer to shred cheese over the noodles, so I cut it into small pieces & keep them in strategic points over the smoking hot maggi...cover it up as its too hot to eat right now...after some time, you will discover that the cheese has half melted...stir well & consume slowly (not too slowly though, it tastes better when its piping hot)...if your tummy is rumbling by now, I guarantee you this is the easiest way to gastric nirvana...
There, I have shown you the painstaking way of converting a simple, basic dish into a gourmet delight (and somewhat healthy too)...its also one of the best comfort foods for me, the other being dal-chawal...
My most memorable maggie episode was when I came home famished from work one evening & my wife served it up in a glass bowl with a few slices of strawberry on top...It looked so delectable that I snapped a couple of pics before devouring it...