Just add water #1
Throw away those instant noodle packets that don’t actually taste anything like what the packet suggest. Lets make our own.
This will be the first instalment of my new series “Just add water”. This series will be dedicated to instant noodles. But not the type your thinking. We gonna prep everything before hand so you can take it will you. Then all you will need is some boiling water and two minutes before you will be enjoying awesome noodles that taste great.
PHO ON THE GO!
Let me tell how this recipe came to be and a very odd ingredient that you will need to make it.
Now mark my words it’s as perfect as a instant noodle is going to get!
So most recently I quit smoking, best thing I’ve done for myself in years. I also recommended it to any other current smoker. My sense of smell and taste has heighten which has resulted in me adding less salt and sugar to my food. Win Win! Now giving up the dirty smokes hasn’t come with out any drawbacks. Be it temporary or not. Now one of these drawbacks is my apertite! I mean when I say I’m hungry all the time. I’m not kidding! I’ve been smash food like its going out of existence. I’m even eating stuff I don’t usually like to eat.
So I bought a few packets of instant noodles. I don’t often eat instant noodles cause most of them don’t taste very good but they are convenient. So got some to have on hand at work. I’m a big lover of Pho, but not of instant pho noodles.
I’ve never found any instant pho the remotely taste like the real thing.
So along with eating a tone more food, I also had to make a few other dietary changes. One being cutting back my coffee intake. Mainly because having coffee was a trigger that would make me crave for a smoke. So I started to drink more tea instead. I started to try all different teas. Black, greens, fruit flavoured, with milk, with out milk. As such my work colleagues had started to noticed. One of them offered me a packet of Chai tea. I never had Chai before so I gave it a go. When I first made the Chai tea the smell was very inviting and very very familiar to say the least. However I just couldn’t put my finger on what it was. My boss had walked in and said that smells good, and he had a cup as well.
As the boss man was drinking it, he said to me “reminds me of pho”.
BOOM!
That was it, that was the familiar taste. So I ran to get the box to see what ingrediencies where in this Chai tea I was drinking. What do you know….. It had spices like Cinnamon, ginger and clove. All spices I add to my Pho stock when I make it. That’s when I had a light bulb moment and this recipe was born.
LET’S GET THIS PHO ON THE GO HEY?
LETS!
The shopping list
60 gram, Dried Pho noodles.
(use the thinnest noodles you can find)
1 Chai tea bag.
(ensure it is the spiced type chai tea)
1 Beef stock cube
(I used an organic msg free cube)
2 Vietnamese beef balls quartered
(you could use any cooked meat you like here or even something like beef jerky)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Black pepper to taste
Garnishes and sauces all to taste
Spring onion
(you can also add coriander, saw tooth coriander, fresh onion slices ect)
Beanshoots
Thai basil leaves picked
Fresh sliced chilli
Lemon wedge
Hoisin Sauce
Chilli Sauce
METHOD
Use a container that has a lid that will be easy to carry around.
Crush and add the beef cube to your container.
Add the salt, pepper, dried noodles and tea bag.
Now place all your basil, spring onion chille and beanshoots into a zip lock bag.
Put the hoisin and chilli sauce into a small sealable container and add to your noodle bowl, along with the beef balls and lemon wedge.
Place your garnish bag in the bowl and place the lid on.
Place in the fridge
Now your pho kit is ready to go!
Take your pho to work with you, or any where else you might want to enjoy it. Just remember with the beef balls you will need to keep it refrigerated if its going to sit around for extended periods of time and you will also need access to boiling water.
When your ready to eat.
Remove the pho kit from the fridge.
Take off the lid and remove the garnish packet, sauce container and lemon wedge.
Add enough boiling water to cover all the noodles, put the lid back on and let stand for 2 minutes.
(or to when the noodles have soften)
Take off the lid, then remove the teabag.
Give everything a good mix up.
Add in the content of your garish bag and squeeze over some lemon.
Add the hoisin and chilli sauce.
Now enjoy your pho on the go!
Thats it people you jut made Saba
Pho on the go!
How easy was that!
Please tag me on your socials if you make this recipe, and
Share this recipe with your friends and family
I would love to see it!
Check out some of my great recipes here
Friends of Saba’s
Brilliant, I have also tried the “Instant Pho” kits and have been sorely disappointed, but you have now solved this problem. A tasty home made Pho but now with the convenience of a go anywhere instant meal that doesn’t taste like cardboard. Win, win.
Hope you give this one a go. I think you will really be impressed.
Mind blowing !!!! Who would think of using a bag of tea in their instant noodle. You definitely nailed it!.
Looking forward to your other “Just Add Water” recipes too 👍
Thank you my dear friend. Its amazing how well the tea bag works for this recipe. Hope you give it a ago 🙂🙂🙂