Masala Maggie (protein packed maggie)

 

Hello readers!

I hope you all are well!

Welcome to another interesting, easy cooking blog no. 13!

 

Introduction

The recipe which I am going to share today is an instant meal option for many of us. It has been making our lives extremely easy for decades. It is equally prevalent among all age groups, or should I say around the globe. 

I am talking about our gorgeous bowl of happiness popularly known as ‘’Maggie’’, our life saviour on one of those days when we want to take a break from cooking for different reasons. I know MAGGIE has been our best buddy for years, making our tummies happy. I am sure while reading this; you must be recalling your precious Maggie moments. Some of us must have enjoyed this during our hostel life or when we felt reluctant to cook elaborated meals after a hectic day at work. 

When I was studying and had almost no time and energy to stand in the kitchen for an extended period of time, I always opted for Maggie. A bowl of Maggie was not only prepared in a jiffy but was a complete meal in itself that kept me energetic to perform my daily chores for a longer period. However, making it a regular part of our meal is not a very good option due to its low nutritional value coupled with its high carbohydrate content, which is not advisable for those who watch their carbs intake.

The commonly used method for the preparation of maggie is straightforward and always comes with a step-by-step protocol at the back of each pack. However, over the period, we all have devised our ways of making it depending on our taste preferences, either by adding some additional ingredients or changing the cooking style altogether. You can add the end number of vegetables or omit them as per your liking and availability.  

As the main aim of my blogs is to make easy peasy meals with maximum nutritional value, I try to make my recipes as healthy as possible because we are what we eat. Keeping this in mind, I always seek a healthier version of each recipe I post herein. So, maggie is also not an exception. I use a combination of different vegetables and sprouted lentils as a source of proteins and minerals to eventually make my bowl of Maggie a highly nutritious and guilt-free meal. 

Let me share my ways of cooking maggie. I make it in two different ways. Ingredients are almost similar in both ways, only the style of preparing maggie is different. 

So, let’s get started!

Check out some other interesting recipes as well, links given below!

Aloo paratha (potato stuffed flatbread)

Punjabi Poha (flattened rice snack)

Masala soya chunk curry

Aloo tikki (healthy potato patties)

Method 1: This method is my all-time favourite, as it is effortless and less time-consuming. 

List of ingredients                                 Qty

Maggi                                                     2

Onion                                             1 medium-sized

Tomato                                          1 medium-sized

Green chili                                    as per taste

Potato                                            1 medium-sized 

Cumin seeds                                1 tsp

Turmeric                                       ½ tsp

Red chili powder                        as per taste

Salt                                                as per taste

Sprouted lentil (optional)          as per taste

Oil 

Garam masala (optional)            ½ tsp

Cooking time: under 30 minutes (including chopping of vegetables).

STEP 1: Chopping off the vegetables.

Chopping: if you like the crunch of the vegetables, chop them roughly, or you can finely chop the vegetables to get that extra smooth texture. I love to chop the vegetables roughly. It adds a nice crunch to the maggie.

STEP 2: Cooking

Take a heavy bottom pan, pour some oil, keeps the heat medium, and let the oil heat up nicely. 

Add the cumin seeds let them sputter. Now add the chopped onions and green chilies and sauté them for about 5 minutes. We do not have to cook them; sauté them until the onions are a little translucent.

 Now add the chopped potato, place the lid, and cook them for about 5 minutes or until they are soft. 

Once the potatoes are cooked nicely, add the tomatoes and cook until soft and mushy. Add all the dry spices like turmeric, salt, and chili powder, cook them together for about a few minutes, and add warm or boiled water to the pan. 

Make sure you do not add water at once. Read the instructions on the pack of maggie and add the water accordingly. 

Once the water starts to boil with the vegetables, break the maggie by pressing the packet between the palms and add the broken maggie to the pan. Place the lid on for few seconds and cook. 

Once the maggie is soft, remove the lid and add your sprouted lentil to the pan and cook everything together by evaporating the excess water. Once you see the desired consistency and the maggie is ready to be served. 

 

Method 2: Ingredients are the same only the cooking style is different. I often make my maggie using this method. 

Let's see the ingredients              Qty

Maggi                                             2

Onion                                        1 medium-sized

Tomato                                      1 medium-sized

Green chili                                as per taste

Cabbage                                    as per taste

Capsicum                                  1 small-sized 

Cumin seeds                             1 tsp

Coriander seeds                       1 tsp

Turmeric                                   ½ tsp

Red chili powder                      as per taste

Salt                                           as per taste

Sprouted lentil (optional)

Oil 

Garam masala (optional)        ½ tsp

STEP 1: boiling of the maggie noodles

Take a pan, add some water bring it to boil. Add these maggie noodles to the pan and cook it until they are soft ( as how we boil pasta the same way we have to boil the maggie). Once the maggie is soft, drain all the water, wash the maggie with cold water, and keep it aside. 

STEP 2: Chopping and cooking 

Finely chop all the desired vegetables and keep them aside. 

Take a pan, add some oil, add the cumin and coriander seeds and let them sizzle. 

Add the ginger-garlic and onions and cook them until translucent and the raw smell of it fades away. 

Now add the tomatoes and cook until soft and mushy. 

Once the tomatoes are cooked, add finely shredded cabbage and capsicum, do not cook them thoroughly; we need that extra crunch in the maggie. 

Now add the boiled maggie to the pan, toss it few times with the spices and vegetables, and before serving it, garnish it with some fresh coriander and spring onion leaves and enjoy this gorgeous bowl of happiness.  

 

Cooking time: under 30 minutes (including chopping of vegetables).

 

Garnishing

 You can use the traditional fresh coriander or spring onion leaves to garnish this.

I sometimes like to pour some roasted peanut over my Maggi to have that extra protein as Maggi does not have any fibre or nutrients on its own; the addition of peanuts gives that extra crunch and enhances the nutritional value of the Maggi. 

You can also use some finely chopped red onions, sev, and some lime juice to enjoy this magical bowl of maggie. 

Serving Suggestion

You can add any ketchup or sauce of your choice when I feel like having something tangy. I add a few tsp of tomato ketchup to my maggie. It's good for a change; it tastes divine. 

For outings, what I do, along with maggie, I carry some bread slices. This combo is delicious. Take a small piece of bread and dish out some maggie, dunk it in any sauce of your choice, and there you go! It keeps you fuller for an extended period. 

Tips and Tricks

While boiling the maggie, do not over-boil and make it sticky. Once it starts getting soft, remove the maggie from the hot water and wash the maggie with some cold water so that the heat trapped in the Maggi does not make them mushy. 

Regarding the addition of water in the method, one always read the instructions given on the pack of the maggie. Or add the water gradually and see how you want the consistency to be.

You can add or omit any ingredients or vegetables as per your choice. 

Do try this with sprouted lentils. It not only enhances the nutritional value but also the taste of the maggie.

I garnish my maggie with some roasted peanuts. It tastes another level. Do give it a try.  

 

That is it for today!

I hope you like my recipes. 

Do let me know in the comments below.

Thank you! God bless!

Neha