If there’s one place in the world that knows how to make instant noodles into something special, it’s Japan. They’re famous for having entire restaurants devoted only to instant noodles where you can pick a variety of ingredients and toppings to make your own signature dish. They’ve proved that this easy-cook ingredient is so flexible that making your own additions is both easy and satisfying, like a culinary blank canvas that you can turn into anything you want.
The other culture that is fastidious about its noodles – albeit of a different kind – is Italian. They have spent centuries perfecting the art of pasta and sauces so when you’re looking for a guaranteed winner, we defer to them. The carbonara sauce is a rich, creamy egg-based sauce that is notoriously hard to get right, but when you make some small alterations, it can be done in minutes.
Maggi is a dish that's close to every Indian's heart and whenever we need a quick and tasty snack, it's there to help us out. This recipe fuses Japan's innovative approach to noodles with Italy's sublime sauces and India's more comforting childhood memories. Although we’re not sure that Italy would give this their stamp of approval, we definitely love building on their classic flavours to create a beautiful fusion dish. The classic meat in a carbonara is bacon but you can always mix it up and use cubed chicken instead. Or skip the meat entirely and add in some grilled broccoli for a vegetarian twist. When dinner can be this quick and delicious, there’s no reason not to eat well every day.
Ingredients:
- 3 whole eggs
- 100 gms cheese
- 3 tbsp cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 cloves garlic
- 250 gms bacon
- 1 tbsp mixed herbs
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 3-4 basil leaves
Method:
- In a bowl add the eggs, diced cheese and cream.
- Add the salt and pepper and mix well.
- Add a bit of oil to the pan, chop and saute your garlic for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the bacon and mixed herbs and chilli flakes and let it fry until the fat starts to render and the bacon starts to crisp.
- Pour in 3 cups of water and let it come to a soft boil.
- Add the instant noodles and flavour packets.
- Let the noodles cook for 3 minutes and then turn off the gas.
- Add the sauce and stir it through the noodles allowing it to cook in the residual heat.
- Chop up your fresh herbs and stir them through before serving.
