The Art of Preparing …
Like being stranded on a island, mastering the way of instant noodle is a necessity in today’s fast life style. Some of us have lived on instant noodles at one time or another. People (like taxis driver and school kid in Asia) often eats the fried noodles dry right out of the package. How you prepare it will depend on your style and some knowledges of instant noodles.
- The “soup” in Asian “instant” noodle serves essentially as a sauce to flavor and highlight the noodle itself.
- Regular Asian instant noodles are fried (precooked) to make it “instant” with a desirable chewy texture, and are within the dietary guideline of for fat.
- Asian noodles have different textures associated with regional noodle types.
- Do not overcook.
- Do not let noodles stay in the soup too long to soften.
- Get quality products that make noodles right.
A package of instant noodle may includes any of the followings:
- powder soup base
- liquid seasoning
- dried vegetable flake
- soup solids, i.e, seafood, meat, tofu, etc.
- special dressing
Regular instant noodle is precooked, any cooking is to heat up and recondition the noodles and other ingredients. You can eat it dry like a biscuit, or crumbled and lightly toasted in oil or butter to put in a salad.
In a colder climate or higher altitude, the suggested cooking times may be little longer. With cup or bowl types instant noodles, a simple way to get extra heat is to microwave without covering.
Cup measure in ramen package directions seem to refer to ~6 ounces cup mostly. Hence, you might need less water for boiling, i.e., 2 1/2 cups = 2 cups for us.
- Undercooking the noodle is favored for chewier bite.
- Place dried vegetable mix into the boiling water first, before the noodles.
- Soup base usually can be added in any time to taste.
- When using two packages for one meal, uses the flavoring(s) from one package or it can be too strong.
- Get a good recipes for instant noodle.
- Use your own favorite seasonings instead of what’s in the thrifty instant noodle.
Instant noodles are good carbs with a low glycemic index, comparable to that of bran cereal. Its “soup” sauce, however, has high sodium and MSG, a common issue for processed foods and snacks. The healthy way then is to avoid drinking much of the soup sauce or to use your own recipes.
