This Winter, Go Desi With Sundarkala Atta Noodles! Recipe Inside

As the climatic temperature starts dropping, we tend to crave more food, especially comfort food. Among all our favourites, noodles top the list for most of us. A steaming hot bowl of soupy noodles or a plate filled with flavoured noodles, our hearts and hands stretch for them. For many, it also refreshes the memories of pahadi noodles. But this time let's do things a tad differently. Instead of choosing the regular pack of this food, why not try something desi and make it from scratch? We are hinting at Sundarkala, the handmade healthy indigenous wheat noodles from Uttarakhand. Allegedly with Tibetan roots, Sundarkala, also called Garwali pasta, was born in Chamoli. Traditionally, the locals used to prepare it during winter as the season would reduce their workload on the farmland. They could dedicate their energy to preparing this time-consuming dish.

Here is the recipe to make this authentic pahadi noodles!

Ingredients 

• 200 g whole wheat flour
• 80 ml water
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of turmeric powder
• 100 g garlic leaves or green garlic
• 4 green chillies
• 2 tbsp mustard oil
• 1 tsp faran
• Salt to taste

Traditional sundarkala noodles, Image Source: goya.in

Method

1. Add the whole wheat flour, salt and turmeric powder in a bowl and slowly pour water while kneading it into a dough. Ensure it doesn't become runny or watery. 
2. Keep kneading till it takes the shape of a firm ball
3. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for around half an hour
4. Now sprinkle some wheat flour on the kitchen countertop and start forming small balls out of the dough
5. Take one ball at a time and keep hand-rolling it on the countertop until it turns long like a thick spaghetti
6. Repeat the same process for the rest of the wheat dough balls
7. Heat a medium to big size open mouth pot and pour water. Let it come to a boil
8.  Now introduce the hand-rolled noodles to the boiling water and cook them for around 5-8 minutes
9. Pour the boiled noodles into a colander to drain the extra water. Ensure they don't get soggy
10. Using a mortar and pestle, make a semi-coarse paste of green garlic, green chillies and salt to taste
11. Heat mustard oil in a wok. Keeping the flame on medium heat, add faran and stir for a few seconds
12. Blend in the green garlic paste and stir for a while
13. Pour the boiled noodles and, stirring gently yet continuously, cook for 1-2 minutes

Remove from the heat and serve as a snack!

One can also add vegetables like finely chopped tomatoes and capsicum.