DIY Pot Noodles

I have come across this recipe a few times on various blogs and boards but when The Guardian recently put this article on Pinterest I thought I’d give it a go myself. I swore I would bring my lunch to work more often and I think I could count on one hand the amount of times I have actually managed to do it this year. The problem is that I am basically disorganised and there is only so much soup and leftovers one person can eat!

I made it in a Kilner jar purely for the photos for the blog, but when I bring it to work I use one of those lunchboxes that has a few compartments in it. I put the noodles and dry ingredients in the main part and then prep the vegetables, wrap in a piece of damp kitchen paper to keep them fresh and then store in another part of the lunchbox. Make sure the lunchbox or container you use is large enough to take everything and to allow for the water you will be adding. I use a mini jam jar to carry the soy sauce and lime juice. It sounds like a lot of work but honestly it takes 5 mins the night before and is worth it.

I loved Pot Noodles when I was younger (I know – the shame!). This doesn’t taste quite the same, but then it is made with fresh ingredients. There is plenty of nice crunchy veg in here to go towards your 5 a day. You could try this with rice noodles if you wanted to make it wheat free, just make sure your stock and soy sauce are also wheat free.

It is adapted from a recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Veg Everyday.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 nest of thin, quick-cook egg noodles
• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder or ¼ of a vegetable stock cube
• A pinch of soft brown sugar
• ½ tsp tomato puree
• 1 small carrot, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 3–4 spring onions, finely sliced
• some chives finely chopped
• 6 sugar snap pea pods shredded
• 2 leaves of pak choi, stalk removed, finely shredded
• ½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
• ½ garlic clove, grated
• ¼ red chilli very finely chopped (you can use less or leave it out altogether if you wish)
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• Juice of ½ a lime

Method:

• Put all the ingredients, except the soy sauce and lime, in a pot.
• Pour over enough boiling water to just barely cover everything and press the ingredients down.
• Cover and leave for 12-15 minutes, stirring a few times while it cooks. The original recipe gives a shorter cooking time but I like to give longer to allow the flavours to develop.
• Add the soy sauce and lime juice to taste and eat immediately.