Food in a jiffy

The most common favourite to satisfy all hungry souls are the instant noodles. They are available in numerous brands,types,flavours and quantities to satisfy every kind of hunger that may crop up.

To enhance the flavours and to try something different,add a few key ingredients and make your own gourmet meal! While some noodles need just boiling water,others can be cooked in a hot plate. After the noodles are ready and before you take them off the heat,add a dollop of butter. Slurp in the noodles and you will get the creamy flavour of the butter. One could also try throwing in oregano,chilli flakes,cheese to chopped onions,tomatoes.Another more recent introduction into the Indian market is instant pasta. At times the base may turn out a little thin,then you can add extra cheese to give the pasta some body.

Incase you are in a mood for a feast,with a little effort,you will be able to indulge in an elaborate meal. Take Archana Jagannath,a media student who stays in a hostel. “Whenever we get tired of ordering,mess food,we cook and we do it together. Its very refreshing”,she says. Armed with a hot plate,Archana and her friends,make eggs,sauté mushrooms in butter and garlic,buy ready to eat meat products and spoon a bit of everything along with bread. “Its the ultimate for us hostelites”.

For Bhakti Shendge,an animator in the city,corn chaat is a life saver as it is really easy and is very filling. “Packaged corns are easily available in departmental stores. Boil a handful,drop in tomatoes,onions; sprinkle condiments of your choice and a dash of lemon juice adds a wonderful tanginess to the chaat. A simple dish,one really needs no culinary skills to whip it up.”

For the more health conscious,salads are the way to go. “I use any vegetables that can be eaten raw for the salad. Dice them,throw them into a bowl with lemon juice,seasoning,and even peanuts. In a few minutes,its ready to eat! And for those who are ready to indulge,fold in a spoonful of mayonnaise mixed with herbs and olive oil. An easy salad dressing ready in a jiffy. ” says Maitreyee,a student in the city. One can also spread the salad mixture on slices of bread and top it with oregano or pepper. In case you want to use cabbage leaves,try soaking them in icy water so they will remain crisp and fresh as ever.

Sagar Bazare,a BPO employee recommends poha with tomatoes and onions. You can toss it well with chilli powder and chaat masala which will add a spicy zest to the healthy and filling snack. “Its quick,easy to make and very tasty. Which is why I tend to make it often”,he says. It is the perfect food stuff to munch while watching your favourite show on television or a movie on the laptop. For many like him who have little patience and even lesser time to cook,an increasing favourite is cereals and the varieities available are enormous. Muesli,oats provide a wholesome breakfast . One can also add cut fruits into their favourite bowl of cereal and enjoy a more nutritious meal. Mangoes,bananas,strawberries and pineapples are some of the fruits you can pick and choose from. Or try something entirely different on your own!There are a few who like to go beyond the traditional food concepts,they prefer gorging on baked beans with bread. Just enough to get the American magic to their meals!

To vary it a bit all they do is warm it and pile it on a toast with a fried egg between them. Sprinkle salt and pepper and enjoy the scrumptious delight! The extreemly hungry ones eat straight out of the can! Its been designed that way!….they defend.

Traditional or not,when it comes to pacifying a growling stomach almost anything works!