Maggi Noodle Pancakes: How To Make Instant Noodle Pancakes (vegan)

These instant noodle pancakes are a healthier and wholesome take on an otherwise low-on-nutrition dish. If you find Maggi noodles, or any instant noodles too strong or salty, this is the recipe for you! It’s crispy on the outside and soft and flavourful on the inside.

Inspiration for Maggi noodle pancakes?

As I manoeuvre through adult life, I find my salt intake to have reduced a lot more than what I was used to back in my teens. I used to eat a lot of processed foods that were usually pretty high in salt. I recently tried the Maggi noodles to relive my university-time memories but found them too salty. So I decided to make a dish that provided veggies and a good amount of fibre to make it balanced while also toning down the salt. If you still prefer salty foods, you can definitely add some salt to this! I’m too vanilla.

Add-ins for instant noodle pancakes

So, I added flour, corn starch, vegan cheese, red onion, mushrooms, carrots, bell pepper, minced ginger and garlic and chopped coriander/cilantro.

You can choose to add some corn, green chillies, scallions, shredded cabbage etc.

Let me know if you try these simple, healthy instant noodle pancakes and I would love to see what you pair them with. Tag @beextravegant on Instagram .

If you don’t follow me there, I think it’s time you do that. I post yummy reels about vegan recipes and everything that is edible

Try other quick recipes from the blog:

• Tofu masala sandwich
• Vegan Yoghurt Toast – Spicy
• Baked Aloo Tikki – Crispy and Healthy

Maggi Noodle Pancakes

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 2 packs Instant Maggi noodles with seasoning pack or any other instant noodles
• 1 Carrot grated
• 1 cup Bell pepper diced
• 1 cup Oyster mushroom diced
• 1 cup Red onion diced
• 3 tbsp Corn starch
• 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
• 5-6 tbsp Water
• 1/2-1/3 cup Shredded vegan cheese Optional
• Salt Optional
• 1 tbsp Oil plus more for adding after flipping the pancakes

Instructions

• Cook the noodles according to the instructions, without the season mix, then drain and rinse under cold water.
• Add the noodles to a bowl with the seasoning mix, carrot, bell pepper, onions, mushrooms flour, cornstarch, cheese and water and mix well
• Heat a pan with oil, keep it at medium heat and pour half the noodle batter into the pan and press down until it’s about half an inch thick and forms a round shape.
• Cook on one side until crispy (about 3-4 minutes) and flip. Add a more oil from the sides and move the pancake over it. It should slide easily on the pan when you move it with the handle.
• Cook the other side as well (another 3-4 minutes) and take it off the heat. Then, repeat for the other half of the batter.
• Slice and garnish with fresh scallions/green onion, ketchup or vegan mayo.

Here’s how I make this easy, delicious South Indian lentil and vegetable stew called Sambar. A sambar recipe is a favorite and customary in almost every household now. This Sambar recipe involves simple ingredients that are easily available like pigeon pea lentils, tangy tamarind, veggies, and a unique spice blend called “sambar powder/masala”.

What is Sambar?

As mentioned before, Sambar is a staple stew in all South Indian kitchens and is a well-known recipe throughout India. It goes really well with soft idlis (rice cakes), dosa , or vada (savory fried snacks). It is both wholesome and nutritional. Sambar recipes include a blend of spices made with measured proportions of coriander seeds, cumin, red chillies, and curry leaves. You can either buy the sambar powder or you could make it at home (depends on the time available to you). This dish is appreciated by nearly everyone because of its striking color, aromatic spices, vegetables, and irresistible flavor of tempering.

How to make Sambar recipe: Tips and Tricks

Lentils:

Cooking the daal is the first step in creating sambar. We usually use arhar dal (pigeon pea lentils), but I substituted red split lentils in this sambar recipe because it was easily available in my kitchen. The lentils must be pressure cooked until soft and mushy. You can cook the dal in a pressure cooker or in a saucepan. I prefer to use a pressure cooker to cook the lentils since it cooks them quickly but you can use a stove-pot. Cook for about 20 minutes on medium-low flame until its soft.

Vegetables

The next step is to prep the veggies. A number of vegetables can be added to a sambar including pearl onions, tomato, drumstick, eggplant, okra (bhindi), carrots, zucchini. Stir fry the veggies until they are tender but don’t let them get mushy by overcooking them or undercooking them. Once the veggies are well done, you can add the cooked dal to the pan of stir-fried vegetables.

An easier version would be adding the veggies to lentils while cooking it (like my mom does to save time) but that results in mushier veggies. Mushy vegetables are not necessarily a bad thing but it’s better if the vegetables have a little bit of a bite to them.

Although, it is optional to sauté the veggies, however, it is strongly recommended.

Spices and tamarind:

The next step is to season the sambar and add the magic touch – sambar powder. Many people in India make their own sambar powder at home and many prefer to buy it from a grocery store.

Tamarind pulp is known to add a zing and tang to sambar. Place the tamarind pulp in a bowl. Pour boiling water over the top, cover, and allow it to soak for 15 minutes. To get the most out of the tamarind, squeeze well using your hand and strain the mixture. The tamarind pulp is now ready to be added to the sambar recipe. Adjust the sourness according to your taste and modify it on the go.

If you want your sambar to be a little sweeter, add a teaspoon or two of jaggery right after adding the lentils to the sautéd vegetables.

Tempering:

You can use any oil for tempering – sesame oil, coconut oil (preferred), or peanut oil. The idea is to pre-roast spices and aromatics like curry leaves, mustard, and dried red chillies to add extra flavor. While adding the mustard seeds to the hot oil, make sure they pop well but don’t get burnt. Otherwise, the raw mustard taste will ruin the taste of the sambar recipe. Immediately add the curry leaves and red chillies after the mustards pop and roast until aromatic. Garnish the sambar with the tempering mix.

Your sambar is ready to be served! 🙂 Pair this Sambar recipe with the following dishes:

• Coconut chutney and Idli

While you’re at it, check out my other savoury recipes:

• Easy One Pot Daal Recipe
• Achinga Kaya Mezhukkupuratti – Green Bean Plantain Dish

Do try this recipe and let me know how you like it. If you really really like it, then don’t forget to tag me in your post on Instagram . I’d love to share your stories with everyone. Check out how I make this recipe on Instagram.

Sambar Recipe

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 1 cup arhar dal or pigeon pea lentils Alt: red split lentils
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2-3 shallot chopped in quarters or halves
• 1 to 2 pinch asafoetida or hing
• 2 cups chopped vegetables e.g. carrots, potatoes, okra, eggplants/aubergines, drumsticks, zucchini etc.
• 1 large tomato
• 2 tbsp tamarind pulp: pre-soaked in 1 cup water soak for15 minutes
• 2-3 tbsp sambar spice mix
• 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• 2.5 to 3 cups water or add as required
• salt to taste

Tempering

• 2 tbsp coconut/vegetable oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 sprig of curry leaves or 10-12 dry/frozen ones
• 2 to 3 dried red chillies

Instructions

• Clean and wash the lentils well.
• Add washed and strained dal along with the shallots, turmeric and asafoetida in pressure cooker with the water. Pressure cook until done or until the lentils are soft.
• Cut the vegetables in into desired size (not too small). In another skillet, stir fry the veggies (if adding Okra, add it later with the tamarind.)
• Add the diced tomatoes after 5 minutes. Cook for about 11 to 12 minutes.
• Pour the strained, soaked tamarind pulp on to the skillet, squeezing out as much of the tamarind flavour as possible.
• Then add the sambar masala, and let it boil for about 10 minutes.
• Then, add the lentils and let it all come to a rolling boil. Add water as and when necessary.
• Simmer the stew until the veggies are cooked through. This will take approximately 15-16 minutes.
• Take off from heat and let it rest till you prepare the tempering.

Tempering

• In a smaller skillet heat oil, add mustard seeds. Once they start popping, add curry leaves and red chillies and fry till curry leaves turn crispy.
• Pour the tempering on the sambar.
• Mix and cover the sambar with a lid for 8 to 10 minutes for the flavours to infuse.
• Serve hot with idlis, dosa, or rice. Enjoy!

Here’s how you can make this healthy vegan Gulab Jamun using simple plant-based ingredients that will make you fall in love with it instantly. Gulab Jamun (jamun = balls) is an Indian based dessert that is absolutely lip-smackingly delicious, except it is made using milk powder and what we Indians call – Khoya or reduction of milk or cream. But the recipe that I have for you has neither because we’ll be subbing the dairy products with easy vegan options that you are likely to have in your kitchen already. And the best part – it’s not fried in oil! Talk about guilt-free!

What is Gulab Jamun?

Traditionally this Indian sweet consists of deep-fried dough balls made out of milk solids or khoya (reduced milk) and boiled in spiced and rose water scented sugar syrup. But ever since I turned vegan, trying out vegan alternatives made me realise that dairy products are completely unnecessary in so many such dishes. This healthy vegan Gulab Jamun made out of bread and cashew paste are just as yummy as the milk-based ones and no one can actually tell the difference. So, when we have such healthy, animal cruelty-free options for our favourite desserts, then we can make a world of a difference by making the right choices.

Lactose intolerance in India:

Another reason that we can try these plant-based alternatives is that the number of lactose-intolerant people in India is essentially more than we realise. Because we as Indians are so used to eating dairy products daily that we pass the blame for lactose intolerant behaviour of our stomach on other dietary ingredients. Research conducted in India to determine the incidence of lactose intolerance in healthy volunteers showed more than 60% prevalence. That’s crazy, right? And knowing the love we have for milk-based sweets, there is no way you can ask someone to give up these dishes. Hence, I have found a way that you can consume dairy-free options and at the same time enjoy these sweets.

How to make healthy Vegan Gulab Jamun? (Tips and Tricks)

These gulab jamuns are super soft and spongy as it soaks up all the sugar syrup to give a cardamom-y flavour while its core remains gooey, sweet and delicious. You do have to get your hands messy for this recipe, but only to roll the dough into tiny balls. Other than that the hands-on work is no more than 5-10 minutes. The base of the jamuns only needs two ingredients – bread and cashews. While the sugar syrup consists of sugar (obviously), cardamom, lemon juice and saffron. You could add rose water to it if you like, but even if you don’t, it would turn out perfectly yummy. I’m going to divide the method into two parts – the base for the Gulab Jamun balls and the sugar syrup. Let’s start with the jamuns!

Making and Baking of the Jamuns

The basic ingredients are pretty similar to a dairy-based Gulab Jamun, except we’ll be using bread slices and cashew paste to get our base for the balls. (:D)

• Take 8 slices of bread and cut the crusts cut off. Don’t throw these crusts away, you can keep them aside for other purposes (process them, pop them in the air fryer and you have a fresh batch of bread crumbs. You can use these crumbs to coat some Aloo Tikkis and make healthy, crispy Baked Aloo Tikki . ).

• In a blender, blend cashews with some water into a very smooth cream ( if you don’t have cashews at hand, you can use coconut cream as a substitute and just whip it up). Pour the cashew (or coconut) cream onto the crumbs, and mix until you have a smooth, pliable dough that’s a bit sticky. Divide into 18-20 equal-sized pieces and roll each into a ball (coat palms with oil to help roll the dough into ball shapes).

• Air fry (or oven-bake) the jamuns at 200 C for 25 minutes until the balls turn golden brown. Set them aside while you prepare the sugar syrup.

Air-fry or Oven bake?

I tried both methods and noticed that the air-fried version gave more of an even colour hand held its shape better, while the oven baked was less even and could, if not cooked fully, crumble a bit. They both taste equally good though, so ultimately, it’s fine!

Spiced sugar syrup

• Place the sugar, water, cardamom and saffron in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat down to a simmer, and add lemon juice. The lemon juice is an important step, so avoid skipping it.

• When you add lemon juice to the sugar and water mixture, it prevents the process of crystallization. Crystallization can’t take place while we make the syrup as we need a homogenous consistency for the jamuns to soak in.

• Let the syrup simmer for another five minutes then turn off the heat.

Turning the Jamuns into Gulab Jamuns

Pour the syrup over the Jamun balls when the syrup is still warm and let sit for at least 3 hours (or overnight, if you have the time), so they soak up the syrup. Do a taste test before serving. The Vegan Gulab Jamuns should be spongy to press and the core must be gooey on the inside when cut into halves. Your Vegan Gulab Jamuns are ready to be served (warm or cold) with a drizzle of syrup. If you are feeling adventurous, then add a dollop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream on top of the Gulab Jamuns and enjoy!

Store:

These healthy Vegan Gulab Jamuns can be stored for up to a week when refrigerated in an air tight container. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Make sure to freeze the balls without soaking and make the sugar syrup fresh the day before you want to serve it.

I hope you enjoy this healthy Vegan Gulab Jamun and do tag @beextravegant if you try this recipe. Check out how I made the Gulab Jamun and follow me on my Instagram . Bon appétit 🙂

If you like this recipe, check out other desserts from my page:

• Healthy Vegan Laddoo
• Vegan Ela Ada | The Best Healthy South Indian Dessert
• Dairy-Free Chocolate Pudding (Made With Oat Milk): Rich And Creamy

Vegan Gulab Jamun

Ingredients1x2x3x

For the Jamun base

• 8 Slices White bead
• 1/2 Cup cashews

For the Spiced Syrup

• 1 ½ cups or 350 ml water
• 1 ½ cups cups or 250 gms Sugar
• 5 strands of saffron optional
• 8 pods green cardamom deseeded and crushed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice to prevent crystallization

Instructions

To make the Jamun

• Take about 8 slices of bread and cut the crusts cut off. Blend them into a coarse powder.
• In another blender, blend cashews with some water into a very smooth cream. Sub with coconut cream if you don’t have cashews.
• Pour the cashew (or coconut) cream onto the crumbs, and mix until you have a smooth, pliable dough that’s a bit sticky.
• Divide into 18-20 equal-sized pieces and roll each into a ball (coat palms with oil to help smoothen the surface).
• Air fry at 200 C for 25 minutes (or deep fry) the balls until golden brown. Set aside.

Sugar syrup:

• Place the sugar, water, cardamom and saffron in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer, and add lemon juice
• Let it simmer for another five minutes then turn off the heat.

Soaking the Jamuns in Sugar syrup

• Pour the syrup over the air fried jamun balls when the syrup is still warm and let sit for at least 3 hours, so they soak up the syrup.
• Serve the gulab jamuns (warm of cold) with a drizzle of the syrup.

Maggi Noodle Pancakes

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 2 packs Instant Maggi noodles with seasoning pack or any other instant noodles
• 1 Carrot grated
• 1 cup Bell pepper diced
• 1 cup Oyster mushroom diced
• 1 cup Red onion diced
• 3 tbsp Corn starch
• 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
• 5-6 tbsp Water
• 1/2-1/3 cup Shredded vegan cheese Optional
• Salt Optional
• 1 tbsp Oil plus more for adding after flipping the pancakes

Instructions

• Cook the noodles according to the instructions, without the season mix, then drain and rinse under cold water.
• Add the noodles to a bowl with the seasoning mix, carrot, bell pepper, onions, mushrooms flour, cornstarch, cheese and water and mix well
• Heat a pan with oil, keep it at medium heat and pour half the noodle batter into the pan and press down until it’s about half an inch thick and forms a round shape.
• Cook on one side until crispy (about 3-4 minutes) and flip. Add a more oil from the sides and move the pancake over it. It should slide easily on the pan when you move it with the handle.
• Cook the other side as well (another 3-4 minutes) and take it off the heat. Then, repeat for the other half of the batter.
• Slice and garnish with fresh scallions/green onion, ketchup or vegan mayo.