Healthy Maggie Noodles & Chili Mushroom with a Dash of Honey

Yup, i have the nerve to call this Maggie Noodle dish a healthy recipe. ;)... I never use their taste maker and avoid using ajinomoto in my cooking....Also, i just love chinese food or should i say 'the indian version' of the chinese food...:)

Anyways, i do use chinese noodles once in a while or even rice noodles and follow the same recipe. But this time i decided to use this favoured brand. Just before we left india Nestle had launched a Shahi Puloa flavoured Maggie and i used to just love it....i can't find it anywhere in Bahrain. Anyways getting back....i like to make this recipe without beef or chicken strips but i guess one can add it if you want. So here we go...

VEG NOODLES

Ingredients

Noodles : 2 or 3 packets
Water: more than the instructions given
Oil: 1 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1 tsp

Spring Onion: 1 stem
Red Capsicum: 1 (cut long)
Green Capsicum: 1 (cut long)
Onion: 1 (juliened)
Garlic: 2-3nos (chopped)Green Chili- 2nos
Oyster Sauce- 1tsp
Soya Sauce- 1tsp
Schezwan Sauce- 1/2tsp (optional)
Oil
Salt
(Adding Carrots, Beans and Sprouts is optional)

Method
Step 1: Boil water, as soon as it’s boiled, add oil and salt and to this. Add the dry noodles. Turn off the fire and check the noodles to see if its cooked. As soon as its soft strain it and keep it aside. (this will ensure that we don't end up with lumps!)

Step 2: Heat the oil and add the chopped garlic and the spring onion. This is will change the aroma of the oil and will smell really nice.

Step 3: Add the onion and green chili to this.

Step 4: As soon as the onion is cooked, add the red and green capsicum to this (any other veggies or meat pieces if you are using can be added at this stage). You might need to change the proportion of oil according to the amount of extras used.

Step 5: Add all the sauces to this. Ensure it’s not cooked till the veggies soften too much. It's best if it’s still a little crunchy. Add more salt if required, keeping in mind that the noodles already has salt.

Step 6: Add the cooked noodles to this, toss it to mix it well.

Even though it has enough sauces i don't like eating it without any curry ;)...so here's my simple and easy Chili Mushroom...

I have always disliked adding batter (as is a practice in some chinese dishes) to the mushroom before using them and i never do it....

CHILI MUSHROOM

Ingredients
Mushrooms- 2pkts (250 gms each)- chopped
Ginger- 1/2 inch piece (finely chopped)
Garlic- 3nos (finely chopped)
Dry Red Chili- 3-4nos (chopped)
Onion- 1 (chopped)
Soya Sauce- 1 tsp
Oyster Sauce- 1 tsp
Schezwan Sauce- 1/2 tsp
Tomato Ketchup- 1 1/2 tsp (adding this will give good color and helps if the dish has turned out to be too spicy)
Fresh Black Pepper- Ground- 1/2 tsp
Salt- as per taste
Oil or Butter- 1tbsp
Honey- 1 tbsp

Method
Step 1: Heat oil/butter in a wok and add chopped garlic ginger and red chili.

Step 2: Add chopped onion. Fry till lightly brown.

Step 3: Add all the sauces and salt except the tomato ketchup.

Step 4: Add chopped mushrooms. Let it cook a while as the moisture from the mushroom will create a light gravy while it cooks.

Step 5: Let the mushrooms soften and keep tasting to check how spicy it is before adding the pepper powder. Add as required.

Step 6: Add the tomato ketchup to this. By now it should have a thick gravy. Drizzle the honey on top and its ready.

At the end of all this last night i was feeling so good...i mixed up some fresh apricots, fresh cherries, Cream and Chocolate cake and made something...yet to decide what i should call it...;)