Whether it’s one of those late night studies that lead to hungry palates, the weekend cravings or the childish rift with siblings over a greater part of the morsel, Maggi has seen it all, been with all and satisfied us all.
This unsung hero has always been like that one particular friend who sticks to you, no matter how far you go from them. They are there and you can always count on them, anytime, and in any mood.
Well, our humble item needs us to go back in time, so as to make us understand its origin and presence since, time immemorial!
A Look Into The Past!
Our very own maggi that we know today has a long history, originating from Switzerland in 1884. A young visionary, named Julius Maggi thought of bringing a food solution to all the busy families, who had no cooking time at all.
So, the first protein-rich legume meal was brought to market, followed by readymade soup-legume meals in 1886 by this visionary. It was in 1947 that the company was acquired by Nestle and gradually maggi came to India and became a part of the Indian food items. For the country, it was the very first food that was a ready-to-cook dish and hence, it gained popularity.
Thus, unimaginable is the history and all the more the grandeur of Maggi that stands tall till today!
Different Ways To Prepare Maggi!
So, everybody’s growing up days are filled with experiments and in exploration of that one taste that leaves them dumbfounded. And this may have been the reason why we have so many variations available for us related to maggi and its preparations, that we’re left with a wide array of choices to choose from.
Well, listed below are some of the ways (apart from the conventional method) with which you can spice up your maggi making and enjoy it in a whole new way:-
- Tadka Maggi / Tadka Masala Maggi
We Indians are always good at adding a certain amount of “Desipan” to any of the dishes that comes our way. And this has been absolutely true for maggi and all the experiments that go behind it.
Well, Tadka Maggi is one such dish that is a true version of an Indianised food. The recipe requires oil, maggi, cumin seeds, onion, green chilli, ginger- garlic paste, tomato, lemon juice and some freshly chopped coriander.
For the dish, heat a few drops of oil in a frying pan, add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Onion and green chilli is to be added next and sauteed for a minute. Add ginger-garlic paste and tomato along with maggi noodles and its magic masala and then cook it. Lastly, add some lemon juice and fresh coriander. Serve hot.
- Schezwan Maggi
This delicious variant of actual maggi is a great hit amongst youngsters as it not only gives a spicy tinch to the recipe but also a new flavour to enjoy and look for.
For making Schezwan maggi, you need to have maggi , schezwan sauce, carrot, cabbage, onion, spring onions, chopped garlic, white vinegar, salt and oil.
First you need to put some oil in a pan with a pinch of salt and boil the water into which the maggi should go. It should be boiled for a minute or two, strained and kept aside. Now, in another pan, add a little oil, ginger, onion and carrot and in a while also add cabbage, salt and schezwan sauce. Mix all the ingredients properly.
Last of all, add boiled maggi noodles and vinegar along with maggi masala. Give a good stir to it and your Schezwan Maggi is ready in no time.
- Italian Maggi
From pizza to pasta, Italian Maggi has all the taste incorporated into this one particular dish. This variant uses maggi, oil, garlic, green, yellow and red capsicum, cheese spread and chopped basil leaves.
Now, the recipe is very simple. First you need to heat some oil in a pan and saute the garlic for a while. Add basil leaves to it and stir them for a minute or so. Next goes all the chopped capsicums which again have to be sauteed. Turn off the gas now and add cheese spread to the preparation.
Make maggi in the conventional way and add the cheese item that you previously made.
Now, Enjoy!
- Spicy Egg Maggi
Well, Spicy Egg Maggi is a simple dish to make and also a nutritious item to have. The recipe requires maggi, eggs, oil, salt, chopped onions, green chillies, ginger, turmeric powder and chopped coriander.
First you have to boil maggi noodles for a while and then strain them. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and keep them aside. In a pan, add a few drops of oil and put ginger, onions and green chillies and saute them for a while. Next, put turmeric powder, maggi masala, and salt, and cook them for a minute or so. Now, add the beaten egg, cook for a while and finally add the maggi noodles.
Give a good stir to the preparation and your Spicy Egg Maggi is ready!
The Overall Benefits:-
To be honest, Maggi has always been under scrutiny for multiple reasons, let alone its benefits. But there’s always a two side to a coin, and so does this food item. Maggi too, has multiple benefits apart from certain health benefits that needs to be understood and not overlooked.
So, here are a few benefits to look for:-
- Rich in Vitamin A, Iron and Iodine - Amazingly enough, studies have shown that maggi is rich in Vitamin A, Iron and Iodine. This certainly drew my attention as I believed that this delicious food just fills our belly and has nothing more to it but I was totally wrong.
- So, Vitamin is an essential nutrient needed by the body. Also, known as Retinol, it helps the body in fighting illness and infection as it serves as a natural defence against any disease. Vitamin A even helps us to have a good vision in dim light.
- As for iron, our body needs this nutrient for growth and development. It creates red blood cells, which takes oxygen to different parts of the human body. Lack of this essential nutrient causes anemia.
- Iodine is another important constituent required by us. It helps us in making thyroid hormones that control the metabolism and other functions. It is also required during pregnancy as well as infancy for bone and brain development.
Thus, to have all these benefits into a single consumable item is commendable.
Isn't it?
- Anytime Companion For Bachelors
If you’re a student, living away from your parents, or an office-goer who returns to their apartments and just snuggle up in bed or even those who feel tired of cooking everyday- Maggi is there for all.
An anytime companion, we all fully know and understand the importance of those hot and simmering maggi that not only satisfy the hungry lion within us but also add up to our palate’s taste.
As far as I believe, there’s hardly any other item available that’s easy to make and generally available across all shops in any part of the country, making our lives easier and much better.,
- A Last Minute Food
We all are living in an age where we hardly have time to grab a bite properly, let alone cook. And sometimes, it really gets hard because of our tight schedules or those last-minute office notifications to reach the place on time for so and so meetings.
It is then, when our humble friend makes its existence known and helps us out by getting prepared for our hungry tummy.
Sometimes I really wonder, what would we do without Maggi?
Surely, life wouldn’t have been the same and this easy for us all!
- An Affordable Stuff
One of the major things that draws me towards maggi is its affordability. Poverty is still a rampant problem, present in almost every other country out there. Worst hit are the people who earn on a daily basis.
It is here that maggi helps them out by assisting these people to have their tummy filled, without having to shell out a generous sum of money.
Kudos to you-Maggi!
Thus, today maggi has become an ubiquitous symbol, present everywhere and helping those in need or those in dire conditions and it is these unseen benefits that counts!
Maggi has always been a part of our lives without us even noticing it and it has definitely made our innumerable days “ a happy one”. So, the very next time you get hold of those yellow packets, quietly sitting at the shop corner, just go and whisper to them how grateful you are for their unfathomable help and assistance at all times!