Kannada Style 'diDeer' (Instant) Noodles  
by: Harish Amble (hla@fns.com)

Too tired? No time to cook an eloborate meal? Uninvited guests at your place all of a sudden? Single and trying to please your date with your culinary talents? Here's a recipe which you can prepare within 15 minutes and still satisfy the taste buds of most people (especially kannadigas).

Ingredients:

  • Rice noodles   -   1 packet
  • Coconut (Freshly grated preferred)   -   1/2 cup
  • Green or red chillies   -   5-8
  • Coriander seeds   -   1/4 teaspoon
  • Asofoteida   -   1 pinch
  • NelagaDale kaayi beeja (Raw peanuts)   -   2 tablespoons
  • Mustard seeds   -   1/2 teaspoon
  • Leaves kari bhevu (kaDi paththa)   -   5-6
  • Channa daal   -   1 teaspoon
  • Urad daal   -   1 teaspoon
  • Chopped coriander leaves   -   For garnishing

Method:

Boil 5 cups of water in a steel vessel. The quantity of water should be well enough to cover the amount on noodles you are going to boil. When the water is boiling, immerse 1/2 packet noodles into the boiling water. You need not cut the long noodles as they will finally cut themselves to bitesize length in the process. After boiling this for about 10 minutes, pour the whole content into a strainer or a colander on top of the kitchen sink. Let the water drain. In the meantime, for the mixture: Grind 1/2 cup coconut, 5 red or green chillies (you may add or reduce these according to your kaara level) coriander seeds, 1/4 spoon of Arisina (Turmeric) and Hing with little water so as to make a thich paste. For oggaraNe (seasoning): Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Put a teaspoon of mustard seeds with 2-3 little pieces of red chillies into the oil. After the mustard seeds split, add 1 teaspoon of Channa daal, 1 teaspoon of Urad daal and 2 tablespoons of raw peanuts and 5 leaves of kaDi paththa (curry leaves) and fry until channa and urad become light brown. To this add the ground mixture of coconut and chillies and simmer them for about 2 minutes. At this point, lower the flame and add noodles and salt to taste to this mixture and mix them. You can cut the noodles to desired length by using the mixing spoon. Let the noodles cool for about 5 minutes before adding the juice of one freshly cut lime/lemon and chopped coriander leaves.