The rains have finally arrived and it has cooled down considerably! Such a relief, phew!! In India, no matter where you live, its impossible to be untouched or unaffected by the monsoons. There is a particular romance to it though. It begins with a long wait and an almost physical longing for the rains to arrive and then comes the first rain, the invigorating smell of the damp earth, the sound of the raindrops pitter pattering on the roof, and everything looks beautiful and pristine!
The rains always bring for me, an urge to eat something hot, watching the rain, maybe getting a little drenched :). So many of my childhood memories involve food, this is no different, my most distinct memories of the monsoons are in Delhi, dancing in the rains with my friends and waiting for the corn on the cob cart to pass by, so we can all have the hot, coal roasted corn, smeared with lemon, chilly powder, pepper and salt, yum yum !! Or sitting in my minuscule apartment in Mumbai, sipping ginger tea and eating a hot vada pav (a street food version of a burger), and listening to the melancholy ghazals of Jagjit Singh!
And today, a steady drizzle and a cool breeze accompanied by the occasional thunder and lightening and a bowl of pipping hot noodle soup, a perfect monsoon evening in Bangalore.
It was the fastest noodle soup I have ever made, with very few ingredients and yet, so satisfying. A definite rainy day recipe!
Ingredients
Soba noodles (buckwheat), you could use rice sticks or glass noodles too.
5-6 florets of broccoli
2 big chilly peppers (less heat)
5-6 shitake mushrooms (dried)
2-3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp oil (sesame, peanut or olive)
pepper to taste
Process
Boil the noodles according to the instructions on the pack and keep aside. Soak the dried shitake mushrooms in hot water to rehydrate.
In a hot wok, pour the oil and add the sesame seeds. Add the broccoli, peppers and mushrooms (without its water) and stir fry for a few minutes.
Now, add the water from the mushrooms and the soy sauce and pepper. Add a little more water and taste the broth to check for taste (salt is not required because of the soy).
Let it all come to a boil, add the noodles and turn the heat off.
Enjoy.
The rains always bring for me, an urge to eat something hot, watching the rain, maybe getting a little drenched :). So many of my childhood memories involve food, this is no different, my most distinct memories of the monsoons are in Delhi, dancing in the rains with my friends and waiting for the corn on the cob cart to pass by, so we can all have the hot, coal roasted corn, smeared with lemon, chilly powder, pepper and salt, yum yum !! Or sitting in my minuscule apartment in Mumbai, sipping ginger tea and eating a hot vada pav (a street food version of a burger), and listening to the melancholy ghazals of Jagjit Singh!
And today, a steady drizzle and a cool breeze accompanied by the occasional thunder and lightening and a bowl of pipping hot noodle soup, a perfect monsoon evening in Bangalore.
It was the fastest noodle soup I have ever made, with very few ingredients and yet, so satisfying. A definite rainy day recipe!
Ingredients
Soba noodles (buckwheat), you could use rice sticks or glass noodles too.
5-6 florets of broccoli
2 big chilly peppers (less heat)
5-6 shitake mushrooms (dried)
2-3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp oil (sesame, peanut or olive)
pepper to taste
Process
Boil the noodles according to the instructions on the pack and keep aside. Soak the dried shitake mushrooms in hot water to rehydrate.
In a hot wok, pour the oil and add the sesame seeds. Add the broccoli, peppers and mushrooms (without its water) and stir fry for a few minutes.
Now, add the water from the mushrooms and the soy sauce and pepper. Add a little more water and taste the broth to check for taste (salt is not required because of the soy).
Let it all come to a boil, add the noodles and turn the heat off.
Enjoy.
What a perfect description of the much awaited monsoons. Oh man, you've brought up some solid cravings for corn on the cob now! haha
ReplyDeleteThe noodle soup sounds delicious. :)
Thanks Susmita :)
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