The Brunette Diaries

6 Awesome Maggi Noodle Recipes

Any kid would tell you this – Maggi noodles is the best food on planet Earth! The fondest memories of my childhood are watching TV and enjoying my own hot bowl of mouth-watering Maggi noodles. And very honestly even as an adult, I can’t seem to get enough of Maggi. Nobody can! But you can do so much more with your favourite Maggi; here are some recipes. Enjoy!

Maggi Masala Tikki

Ingredients:

1 packet Maggi noodles

2 boiled potatoes

1 finely chopped onion

1 cup of vegetables of your choice

Bread crumbs

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste

1 teaspoon chaat masala

Chopped coriander leaves

Oil for frying

Method:

Make Maggi as per instructions on the pack making sure to keep it dry, if you have leftover Maggi you can use that too. In a big bowl, grate the boiled potatoes, add the vegetables to it and mix it with Maggi. Add bread crumbs to help form tikkis. Add the chopped onion, ginger-garlic paste, salt, chaat masala and coriander leaves. Make round tikkis with the mixture and shallow fry in some oil.

Mag n Cheese

Ingredients:

1 packet Maggi

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese

Half a cup grated cheddar cheese

Half a cup boiled corn

Water

Salt to taste

Method:

Bring 1 cup of water to boil, now add Maggi and the masala tastemaker to it. Also add boiled corn and 1-2 pinches of salt. Half-cook the noodles and turn the flame off. Grease a baking tray with butter, transfer the noodles to the baking tray and add the mozzarella and cheddar cheese to cover it completely. At this stage you can choose to add your choice of vegetables however, that is optional. Place the baking tray in a preheated oven for 5 minutes on 150 degrees.

Tip: Make sure when you cook your Maggi noodles, it isn’t too watery.

Maggi Poha

Ingredients:

1 packet Maggi

2 tablespoons oil

1 boiled potato

1 finely chopped onion

1 cup boiled green peas

Half a teaspoon finely chopped green chillies

A sprig of curry leaves

Half a teaspoon mustard seeds

Salt to taste

A pinch of asafoetida (hing)

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Cook Maggi noodles without adding the tastemaker to it. Once cooked, drain the excess water. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and onions. When the seeds crackle, add asafoetida and green peas and chillies. Finally add the remaining ingredients along with pre-cooked Maggi and its tastemaker. Fry for 5-10 minutes. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Maggi Noodle Bhajiyas

Ingredients:

200 grams paneer

Half a cup corn flour

Half a teaspoon finely chopped green chillies

1 packet Maggi

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil for frying

Method:

Break the Maggi cake into small pieces and boil until half cooked (without adding the tastemaker). Make small cubes of the paneer and add them to a big bowl. Now add green chillies, salt and pepper, Maggi masala tastemaker and corn flour to the paneer and mix well, making sure not to break the paneer. Finally, coat each paneer cube in the half cooked noodles and deep fry until golden brown. Serve with delicious mint chutney.

Quick Recipe For Mint Chutney: In a blender, add 1 cup each of mint leaves and coriander leaves, salt to taste, 1-2 teaspoons of sugar, juice of one lemon, and blend with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Drain and serve.

Mango Maggi Surprise

Ingredients:

1 packet Maggi

1 cup thick mango syrup (made with mangoes and sugar)

2-3 tablespoons caramelised sugar

1 cup chopped mangoes

Method:

Boil Maggi until fully cooked (we don’t need the tastemaker for this recipe) and drain out the excess water. In a heavy bottomed pan, caramelise the sugar with

Boil Maggi until fully cooked (we don’t need the tastemaker for this recipe) and drain out the excess water. In a heavy bottomed pan, caramelise the sugar with a little bit of water and two drops of oil. In a bowl, add the cooked Maggi, caramel, and mango syrup and mix well. Add the chopped mangoes on top of the noodles and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Mango Syrup: In half a cup of water, add chopped mangoes and 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Cook until syrup boils and forms a layer of shine on the top. Cool and use.

Maggi Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

1 packet Maggi

1 can of creamy sweet corn

3-4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup chopped vegetables

1 cup shredded boiled chicken

2 tablespoons corn flour

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

2-3 tablespoons spring onions finely chopped

Method:

In a heavy bottom vessel, cook the creamy sweet corn in the stock for 5 minutes. Add the vegetables, chicken, salt and pepper, and sugar and simmer for 10 more minutes. In a separate vessel cook Maggi as per instructions; let it be partially soupy. Mix the corn flour with half a cup of water and add to the soup. Now add the Maggi to the simmering soup and mix well. Garnish with spring onions and serve in separate bowls.

So there you are! Do give these recipes a try. Bon appétit!

Transitioning from conservative to chic

Any girl would tell you that the biggest question in the whole wide world is – “What do I wear today?”

The most embarrassing situation would be stepping out for a party with your pals and looking trashy, just because you crossed a thin line that differentiates between class and crass. This usually happens with girls who have always been simple and traditional in dressing up, and were never exposed to modern ways of making a style statement. In a bid to go from simple to chic you may sometimes go a little overboard and end up looking indecent with the new found cleavage baring dress that you thought made you look like a million bucks.

If you don’t want to look like the most promiscuous girl at the next party, here’s help. And you can thank us later…

Also read: 5 secret hair tricks that really work

Always take a second opinion while choosing new items to dress up for a special occasion. You may feel that a bandage dress can look good on you, but probably your girls may give you an honest opinion. And that in turn would save you from looking like a victim of a fashion “accident” in need of a bandage. Choose a maxi dress that will not look like you strayed far away from your usual salwar kameez and still make you look gorgeous.

If you’re thinking of wearing a skirt instead of a sari at your friends pre-wedding cocktail party, go easy with the length. Your friends are used to seeing you covered up in the 9 yard drape, and if you make a sudden appearance wearing an ultra mini skirt, everybody’s going to think you’re craving to be noticed. Swap the mini skirt for a tea-length pencil one and accessorise it well.

We all dream of wearing a cute bodycon dress, but wearing one and having to constantly pull it down is a huge turn off. Here’s a helpful tip: when shopping for a bodycon dress if it feels like it’s a little short, try to pick a size bigger and preferably one that has a crew neck. This way you’ll have a more conservative ensemble that balances out the skin show.

Also read: 2014 fashion trends – what sizzles and what will fizzle

If you’ve never worn denims before, you may probably not want to directly jump to stone washed skinny jeans, or low rise and distressed ones. Pick a pair of simple mid waist jeans instead, and wear them with long tunics. Yes, we know crops tops are in and you’re probably thinking of flaunting your midriff, but you need to remember it’s a transition that must be carefully made.

Lastly, be sure to look and feel confident when you decide to go for a style makeover. It shouldn’t make you feel like you have had to jeopardise your self-image in the society. After all, beauty is in simplicity.

Also read: This year flirt with the skirt

Junk food made healthy

When it comes to eating right, one of the worst things to do is treat it like a chore. And because our mentality has it that healthy food is boring, we don’t even take a minute before calling for pizza. But guess what? Comfort foods, like everybody’s favourite pizza, burger, or fries, can be made healthy too!

Also read: Tips to keep your kitchen healthy and clean

Of course, you’ll have to do away with all the bucket loads of oil and fattening ingredients that are not doing any good for your waistline. Today I’m going to share a few recipes for healthy homemade everyone’s favourite junk food, which will not give you a reason to worry about your weight!

Hot’n’crispy French fries:

Who loves hot crispy fries? I do! And because I can never satiate my cravings for a huge bag full of French fries I decided to make them healthier. Here’s how…

Baked french fries are a tasty yet healthy option to calm your junk food craving

You will need:

4 large potatoes or sweet potatoes if you want extra, extra healthy

One tablespoon olive oil

Salt as per taste

Water

Method: Wash and cut the potatoes into thin long slices (you may keep a little bit of the skin on for taste and health benefits). In a large pan, boil some water and dunk the potatoes in with some salt. Once they’re done, drain them on a piece of clean cloth and give it a shake to make the edges a little rough. Drizzle a baking tray with olive oil and spread the potatoes out on the tray. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Yummy, crispy and healthy French fries are ready to serve. Don’t forget the salsa dip!

Also read: Are you obsessive about healthy food

The massive hamburger:

Hamburgers top everybody’s favourite foods list. When it comes to burgers, bigger is always better. But the best burger and the current favourite of mine is my mom’s recipe of a good healthy homemade one. It’s a must try.

When it comes to burgers, it’s always the bigger the better

You will need:

Whole grain burger buns/Sesame buns/Multigrain buns

Fresh lettuce

Tomatoes

Onions

Cabbage leaves

Many slices of juicy grilled chicken ham/vegetable patties

Tangy homemade salsa sauce

Low fat mozzarella cheese/ fat-free cheddar

Tomato ketchup

Mustard sauce

One teaspoon of either low fat mayo or olive oil

Also read: 6 awesome Maggi noodle recipes

Method: This one is no less than a food extravaganza. Get your chicken ham slices/veg patties and the burger buns grilled. Wash and slice the tomatoes and onions. Wash the lettuce and cabbage leaves thoroughly and pat them dry with a soft kitchen towel or simply spread them on a plate and put them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Now, once you’ve got all your ingredients handy, start piling them up in 2-4 layers however you like it. For a fun food session, let your family members do the stacking themselves! Vegetarians can make the same by using veg patties instead of the chicken.

Crunchy crust pizza: Pizzas may be a takeout speciality but once you try this pizza-made-healthy option you’ll definitely know why it’s better. Most times, the chewy pizza crust adds to the inches on our belly; so in this homemade variety I used the ever so healthy whole grain chapattis with a twist!

Whole wheat pizza can also be yummy! Try it to believe it.

You will need:

For the crust:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour (maida)

2 teaspoon yeast

1 teaspoon salt

Hot water

1 tablespoon olive oil

For the toppings:

Black/green olives

Red/Yellow bell peppers

Onions

Tomatoes

Jalapenos/pickle

Dried Oregano/Dill leaves

5 sprigs of parsley/fresh coriander leaves

200 grams cottage cheese/soya chunks/chicken breast/lean minced chicken (steamed)

Boiled baby corn/corn kernels

One bowl of grated feta cheese/goat’s cheese

One bowl of grated fat-free mozzarella cheese

Salsa pizza spread

Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Combine the whole wheat flour and the all purpose flour with yeast, salt and hot water in a food processor, to make a light and fluffy dough. Knead well so that the dough is soft. Lightly flour a flat surface covered with plastic wrap; let the dough rest for 30 minutes maximum. Meanwhile, chop the olives, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and the herbs. Roll out the dough in circles or rectangles and use a fork or toothpick to prick it. Spread a thick layer of salsa spread on each rolled out crust. Top the pizza crust with the chopped veggies, herbs, and cottage cheese/chicken (or whatever you are using as a main ingredient) and season it with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the feta and mozzarella cheese on top and bake in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees C for 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Delicious recipes with Masala Oats

We all hate oats equally. Sure, it’s good for us, but anything that’s healthy cannot taste good. Or can it? I was surprised when my granny cooked up a 3 course meal for me recently; and all the dishes had one main ingredient – Masala Oats! Can’t wait to know how she cooked up the magic? Read on…

Stylish ways to wear a scarf

Many of my friends have been asking me how I manage to wear my scarf in so many styles. So I thought of doing a tutorial. Basically, I usually wear a scarf in 3 simple ways and later style them differently according to my outfit and the occasion. Here are few styles that I absolutely love and do them very often.