The Lazy Dinner I Make When I Don’t Want to Cook
This tastes way too good for instant noodles 😋🍜
My older sister once told me a story from her childhood that always makes me smile.
When she was around seven years old, food from abroad started arriving in Ukraine after the Soviet Union collapsed. Back then, everything felt so exotic. Ketchup, chewing gum, instant noodles... even the packaging looked exciting.
She said those instant noodles came with a little plastic wrapper of garlic and chili oil, a sachet of mysterious spices, and tiny dried pieces of carrot, parsley, and meat. She and the other kids absolutely loved them and, because they were cheap, they would buy them with their pocket money as a little snack. She still can’t explain what was so magical about them. Maybe it was the curliness and the crunchy texture. Maybe how fast they were ready. Or maybe it was the spice blend that felt like something from another world. Whatever it was, it became their special treat.
It’s funny how childhood memories can stay with us and create deep associations later in life, without us even noticing.
So the other day, when I saw plain instant ramen in the shop, I suddenly thought of her story and felt inspired. Why not make something healthier with it, using fresh, simple ingredients that still taste amazing? Here is the result. And the whole process took just 5 minutes longer than making that childhood “exotic” snack.
Ingredients
1 pack of plain instant ramen
1 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 eggs
1 tsp everything bagel spice or to taste
Spring onion
Kitchen utensils: a chopping board, a knife, a small bowl, a whisk or a fork, a frying pan, a saucepan and a spatula.
Method:
Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to the boil. Add one pack of plain instant ramen and cook according to the packet instructions. Then, drain.