NOODLES ........ A DESI TOUCH

Wasn't I eager to share "bengali chow chow" from 80's in blog. I fear by tomorrow morning I may be thrown out of beautiful island.... "aloo, dim, peyaj, roshun-lanka kuchi diye chow bhaja korcho eei deshe boshe?".... How dare you? Even I don't know from where I had drawn courage to cook noodles the way we grew up having, breaking all norms of cooking it as is done authentically.... I strongly felt I would blog about NOODLES........A DESI TOUCH some day, never knowing it would be today! If you are an 80's kid from India or to be precise from middle class homes of West Bengal, you would definitely agree this is how noodles was prepared in our homes..... by "our homes", I mean small Bengali towns, Kolkata suburbs including entire Northern Kolkata.... I do not know how kitchens of Ballygunge or Southern Avenue worked.... those are "posh areas" of Kolkata after all! 

I remember all boys and girls in college who hailed from those upscale areas, this primitive girl found them kind of alien! If my friends Sushi, Indi or one dear "chutu"are reading this, please don't mind.... I speak generally in most cases. About "Chutu".... I really need a proper mind, post to talk about this super woman. Indirra Sengupta joined our school pretty late; all boys, girls would stare at her with such an awe! I used to watch her, her aura had a spell on me, never imitated her..... I cannot be anyone else, I love myself too much! She might have learnt right way of preparing noodles, never stopped from doing it the way as this NOODLES ..... A DESI TOUCH was done in family.

It was 1982 perhaps when Maggi flooded Indian market, did plain noodles came into our lives before that? I can't remember! I remember both of us siblings had Bengali style noodles around 6 - 6:30 pm while watching "Jonny Soko and His Flying Robot"...... This was scenario in most of middle-class homes. Those ladies were relieved perhaps getting quicker option to "luchi, porota, torkari.".... I tortured our mother making her do paratha / poori every day.... two times, never realised she too needed to stay off from kitchen in evenings. This went on until I was in university.... the guilt disturbs these days! My men are decent, they can survive on sandwiches. I am one who cannot buy this idea, there is kind of identity crisis and that guilt.... what I am here for then? Poori / Paratha / Samosa has to happen in my kitchen, oats is becoming spoilt sport in my life! Yet, I must admit a bowl of oats with fruits in morning keeps me away from "24/7 hungry kaya mode".... something to feel happy about! 

I do not want an untimely exit to facilitate another woman get in, take over my kingdom, throw out my son. Readers do I need say what the answer was? Just in case you wish to... it's plain, clearcut.... "in India, life time imprisonment is for 14 years, I have long passed that, living with you for 20 years.... I wouldn't repeat the historic mistake again".... So people..... please do not take it to heart if he didn't say hello to you for long or didn't wish on your birthday, anniversary. He lives in his own world, I in mine; we do chill until I outburst my complaints!

Coming to NOODLES.... A DESI TOUCH, it is done with potatoes, scrambled eggs, onion, garlic, chillies. Our mother used ajinomoto, I don't allow in my kitchen! My aunt, my husband's aunt went to extent of adding peanuts, coriander leaves, turmeric powder to it, I can't do that amount of blunder, I love this island! I had one Punjabi colleague in the school I worked after marriage, Namrata Negi.... she added specially made Punjabi masala in her noodles.... I simply loved taste, aroma of it. I would go ahead with recipe of NOODLES...... A DESI TOUCH as was done in our home .... although I loved how my aunts, my colleagues did!

INGREDIENTS :

Noodles : 3-4 small packet of any variety
Egg : 4-5 [scrambled]
Onion : 1big [peeled, washed, cubed]
Garlic : 3- 4 cloves [minced]
Green Chilli : 2-3 [chopped]
Potato : 1big [peeled, washed, cut lengthwise]
Carrot : 1big [peeled, washed, cut lengthwise]
Green Pea : 1/2small cup
Green Chilli dipped Vinegar : 1/4small cup [to be soaked for at least 5-6 hours]
Light Soya Sauce : 2tbsp
Black Pepper Powder : 1tsp [coarsely ground]
Tomato Ketchup : 2-3tbsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 4tbsp + 1tbsp

METHOD :

Boil enough water in heavy bottomed vessel, adding little salt, 2-3 drops of oil. Once water boils for 5 minutes or so, add broken pieces of noodles.

With another boil, we will immediately switch off gas stove, transfer entire content to big strainer. Let all of water drain away that takes 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, we may soak noodle cakes in hot water for 3-4 minutes, strain!

Transfer boiled noodles to bowl, add 1tbsp oil to it, mix well so all of noodle strings are coated with oil. Keep aside.

Get all ingredients ready on kitchen counter. We need to rub carrot, potato cubes with salt.

Heat 4tbsp oil in pan. Add minced garlic, stir until they are little burnt, you get lovely aroma.

Add onion cubes, stir for a minute. Add chopped green chillies, potato, carrot cubes, stir.

Cover cook for 3-4 minutes, we need to check in between not allowing  veggies to burn. If required sprinkle little water.

Remove cover, check if carrots, potatoes are almost done. Add green peas, stir for a minute!

Add scrambled eggs, tomato ketchup, fold in everything very well. Add boiled noodles, mix.

Add black pepper powder, chopped green chillies soaked in vinegar, light soya sauce, fold in well. Add salt if required.

Stir at high heat for 2-3 minutes, it's done! Use two ladles to stir!

Transfer to serving bowl, try to have it hot, fresh.