Chicken/Beef Noodle Soup for the soul

Geetanjali Sriram

Born from a chance visit to a tiny Tibetan restaurant in Kodaikanal, Chicken/Beef noodle soup has since become my comfort food for a cold wintery day and when it rains, it just gets better.  And hey, it’s not oily or fatty, and it’s got a good mix of carbohydrates, protein and good fats - all the right food groups you know you want to put in your tummy! Try and use lean meat with no fat on it, to ensure the fat content stays on the lower side. Till then…slurp away!




Ingredients:

250 gms  - Boneless chicken, diced
2 - Large onions
5-6 - Cloves of garlic [less or more depending on your garlic tolerance]
1 - Red chilli [optional]
½ litre - chicken stock
Coriander
½ pack -  Egg Noodles
1tbsp - Sesame oil
A pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 - Maggi soup cubes [optional  and quantity depends on amount of soup]
Salt, to taste
1 tsp - Ginger Garlic paste
Light Soy

Method:

In a deep bottomed vessel, add one tablespoon of sesame oil. Saute the onions, garlic and chilli till the onions are soft and transparent.

Toss the chicken into the pot along with ginger garlic paste and stir fry till chicken and paste are slightly cooked. At this point, add the soup cubes. Ensure that everything is coated properly. Add a dash of light soy. Pour in the chicken stock [easily made from boiling chicken soup pieces] and leave to simmer till soup begins to thicken.

In a separate pot alongside the soup, boil about 2 litres of water  and immerse noodles for about 2 minutes, till al dente [almost cooked].

Do not throw the water you have boiled the noodles in, out.

Once the soup is ready toss the noodles in and leave to boil for a minute more.

Finish off with crushed pepper and finely diced coriander.

Please note: You can also use beef in place of chicken.