Ma’s ‘magic maggi’. I remember getting it to school for lunch almost every week and my friends would finish it off in less than 5 minutes. They loved my mother’s ‘magic maggi’. I did too. She fried it instead of simply boiling it. She gave a whole new dimension to it.
Ma added eggs (a must), experimented with different veggies depending on the season of the year, sometimes threw in a couple of shredded chicken, tossed and turned the divine mixture – a bit of this, a bit of that – and voila the favourite food of the household was ready to be devoured.
One needs to know the craft of making maggi and simply fall in love with its art.
My sister-in-law loves maggi – quoting her, “During my college years, I had to stay in a hostel and you know how hostel food is. Yuck! I basically learnt to eat maggi for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. My Life Saviour! “
She taught me a couple of tricks and different recipes to turn a simple maggi into a restaurant quality dish (almost). And being the awesome person that I am, I would love to share those recipes with you. We will start with something yummy yet simple, and move on to the dishes which require a bit more skill to make. So, here goes:
Cheese and Corn Maggi
What you will need: 2 packets of Magic Masala Maggi, 2 and a half cups of Mozzarella Cheese (shredded), ½ cup boiled corn, 1 and a ½ cup of water, 2 tbsp butter, salt
How to make it: Boil water in a pan. Break the cakes of Maggi into smaller bits. Add the Maggi. Stir gently. Add the Masala (spice mix). Stir. Add the boiled corn and some salt to the Maggi. Grease a baking tray with some butter and keep it aside. Once the Maggi is half-cooked, pour them in the baking tray. Add the shredded Mozzarella on top. Sprinkle the top with more cheese and herbs. Place the baking tray in a preheated oven (around 120 degree Celsius) for 5-6 minutes. Once the cheese melts, your Cheese and Corn Maggi should be ready.
Maggi Sandwich
What you will need: 1 packet Magic Masala Maggi,2 toasted bread slices, 1cheese slice (cut them into small pieces),1/2 tsporegano (dried),1/2 tsp dry red chilli flakes
How to make it: Boil 1 cup of water in a pan. Break the cakes of Maggi into smaller bits. Add the Maggi. Stir gently. Add the Masala (spice mix). Cook on a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir occasionally.Add cheese, oregano and chilli flakes. Stir and mix well. Divide the mixture into 2 equal portions.Spread a portion of the mixture on each toasted bread slice.Serve hot.
Veg Maggi Omlette
What you will need: 1 small packet of Magic Masala Maggi, 1 cup besan, 1 cup semolina, 3 or 4 green chillies, 1/2 cup sprouted whole green gram, a bunch of coriander leaves, 1 medium sized onion, 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste, 1/4 cup carrot (grated), 1/4 cup coconut (grated , 1/2 cup olive oil , pinch of salt
How to make it: Boil 2 cups of water in a pan. Break the cakes of Maggi into smaller bits. Add the Maggi. Stir gently. Add the Masala (spice mix). In a bowl, put besan, semolina, salt, ginger garlic paste. Mix well.Take the Maggi, onions, grated carrot, grated coconut, coriander and green chillies and dip them in the besan mixture. Mix thoroughly. Add water to balance the consistency of the batter. Dab some oil on a pan. Heat it. Put some batter in the pan in the shape of an omlette. Add green gram sprouts over the omlette. Cover the pan with the lid and allow it to simmer. After 3 minutes, flip the omlette. Cook for another 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Maggi Noodle Salad
What you will need: 1 packet of Magic Masala Maggi, 1 cucumber (diced), 1 onion (finely chopped), 1 tomato (finely chopped), 1 capsicum (diced), ½ tsp cumin (powdered), 3 garlic cloves, 2 pinches of rock salt, one pinch of salt, ½ tsp sugar (powdered), ¼ tsp chat Masala, 1 green chilli, a bunch of mint leaves (finely chopped), a bunch of coriander leaves (finely chopped)
How to make it: Break the cakes of Maggi into smaller bits. Dry roast them in a pan until they are a soft brown colour. In a large bowl, mix vegetables such as, cucumber, tomato, capsicum and onion. Add crushed garlic, cloves and green chilli. Add rock salt, cumin, salt, chat masala, sugar. Mix well. Add the crushed roasted maggi noodles to the vegetable mix. Sprinkle some mint and coriander leaves on top. Serve immediately.
The Maggi Magic does not end here. Obviously. Give it a northern twist. Add the southern zing. Spice it up. Or keep it simple. Listen to your heart. Put on your chef’s hat. Experiment with flavours and let your creation do the talking. Be the Maggi Chef. Be You.
