Ok, hear me out. No, wait. I am not gonna start apologizing for this recipe. It’s something that I grew up with, and I stand by it. I know it’s absolutely delicious. It’s hearty, and somewhat nutritious because of the vegetables. This recipe might follow the same process and ingredients as the traditional South Indian breakfast, Upma. That’s because it does. A chef in South India conceptualised this called “Chef Mother”, who got the idea to do this because she hated cooking but still had to feed 4 people something quick. Irrespective of how this makes you feel inside, I would say to have an open mind, give it a try, and let me know that it’s actually better than you thought 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp of Oil
- 1 tsp of Chana Dal
- 1 tsp of Urad Dal
- 1 tsp of Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp of Black Mustard seeds
- I dried red chilli (halved)
- 2-3 tbsp of peanuts
- 1 green chilli (chopped)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 small potato (small dice)
- 1/2 carrot (small dice)
- 1 tbsp of green peas
- Salt to taste
- 2 Maggi blocks (with their spice packets)
- I tbsp of butter
- Chopped coriander for garnish
Procedure
- Add a tablespoon of oil and let it heat till you see little wisps of smoke.
- Add the chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, peanuts and the halved dried red chilli. Stir until they brown slightly.
- Now, add the onions and chopped green chilli. Sweat out the onions until they are translucent.
- Add the potatoes, the diced half carrot, and green peas. Add salt. Now stir until everything is combined, and they fry slightly. (P.S.: Use salt sparingly because the spice packets have a lot of salt. We are adding this just for the vegetables.)
- Now add around 500 ml of water. Even if you add more, you can cook it out. Don’t worry about it.
- Let this boil and cook everything for a couple of minutes.
- Now, break the noodle blocks and add them in. Close the lid and let them soften. (Takes around 20-30 seconds)
- Once the noodles are softened, add the spice packets and give them a good stir to combine everything evenly.
- Turn off the heat, add the butter and chopped coriander and give it a stir. Serve up.
This recipe feeds two people or one starving individual. Add chopped coriander as garnish on top while serving.
1 thought on “Maggi à la Ricesome”
I must say Chef Mother is a devoted cook and a even more devoted mom. Which person with a healthy dislike for cooking would turn a two minute maggi into an elaborate recipe?