Pasta is one Italian dish that has gradually transformed into an Indian favourite. Pasta offers a variety of shapes and sauces, so there's always something new to try. Indians have started modifying the original pasta recipe to suit their tastes and preferences, which is unsurprising. Pasta is frequently topped with a variety of intriguing ingredients to make it genuinely scrumptious!
"If Italians ever discovered what we young Indians or hostellers put in their pasta, they would stop breathing." Rahul Shaw, a B.A. the student, says, "It's always a pasta curry at the end, and it's so delicious, lol."
Numerous students who reside in dorms contribute their inventiveness to pasta recipes. Some add turmeric, garam masala, and other spices. Schezwan sauce, Maggi masala, and ketchup are a few more common pasta ingredient options. Others offered additional suggestions, including red chillies and mustard seeds!
"I just add any masala I find in my kitchen, last time, my friend even made me add paneer," Rahul stated.
Know About World Pasta Day
Pasta makers from all over the world overwhelmingly agreed at the World Pasta Congress, which took place in Rome on October 25, 1995, that pasta, a tasty, nutritious, sustainable, and versatile food, should be recognized annually on a global scale.
World Pasta Day has been observed on October 25th in nations all over the world since 1998. This World Pasta Day celebration raises awareness of pasta's many advantages, including its delicious flavour, healthfulness, and ease of use for people worldwide.
Families, chefs, and eateries worldwide on October 25th celebrate World Pasta Day by trying a few new recipes or an old family favourite with loved ones. Remember that pasta has magical qualities that should be celebrated all year long, including taste, health, sustainability, and convenience!
The Art of Making Pasta: A Hosteller’s Jugaru Pov
Pasta frequently serves as the backdrop for a variety of culinary experiments. Hostellers make some of the most unusual yet memorable pasta dishes with little more than their imagination, low-tech equipment, and limited supplies.
With only a small kettle or an induction stove as a cooking tool, students must learn how to make tasty yet economical meals with whatever ingredients they have. Because of its amazing flavours and humour, pasta is the preferred dish for using leftovers.
How To Make Pasta? A Creative Dilemma
The pantry is typically not what one would consider fully stocked in hostels. Fresh herbs and gourmet ingredients are out of the question; students only have instant noodles, basic spices, and some leftover vegetables.
Pasta is still a versatile ingredient that can be used in any circumstance. Whether it's leftover dal, extra chickpeas from the previous evening's curry, or an unopened Maggi masala packet, it always ends up mixed with pasta.
The true creativity lies in how hostellers figure out how to balance these improbable pairings. For example, they might mix leftover chana (chickpeas) with macaroni to create the Chana Macaroni.
Even if pasta goes a bit slurry or is overcooked, mixing it with namkeens like chanachur or nimki makes it taste weirdly good.
Never Underestimate The Power The Simple Kettle
The utilisation of a basic kettle as a multifunctional tool is arguably the most astounding feature of hostel cooking. Students without access to a proper kitchen use their electric kettle to cook whole meals, steam vegetables, and boil pasta.
It's incredible how much a kettle can do. Chats flow, and friendships are bolstered while the pasta boils in the kettle. The process turns a simple meal into a shared memory and becomes an experience in and of itself.
Emotions And Flavours In Balance
It takes more than just assembling ingredients to make pasta in a hostel. Even with the chaos, the dishes have a special sense of balance. Away from home and the cosiness of home-cooked meals, these inventive creations provide a feeling of cosiness, warmth, and nostalgia. It is sustenance for the body and spirit.
The stories and feelings associated with these peculiar hostel pasta dishes are what really make them unforgettable. As students get older and leave the dorm life behind, the memories of cooking Tandoori Pasta in a kettle or tempering spaghetti with mustard seeds (tadka) become ingrained in their personal histories.
Despite their necessity, these dishes have become essential memories—times spent laughing, forming friendships, and being creative.
Weirdest Pasta Recipes That Hostellers Are Well Familiar With
Chana Macaroni
Chana Macaroni is a special pasta dish made with the common chickpea or chana. The flavours are completed with sautéed onions, tomatoes, and green chillies. Chana macaroni is a delicious, filling, and nutritious dish topped with cilantro and a squeeze of lemon. Many people enjoy this dish despite its strange appearance, especially at street food stands and roadside dhabas.
Classic Macaroni Masala
Masala macaroni, a common street dish in India, combines traditional pasta with Desi flavours. This recipe calls for sautéing macaroni in a hot masala base made with onions, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic. Additionally, Indian spices like red chilli powder, cumin, garam masala, and coriander powder are added to the gravy. Carrots, green peas, and capsicum are often added to provide colour and texture.
Maggi Macaroni
Macaroni and India's popular instant noodles are combined in Maggi Macaroni. This unique dish combines macaroni with Maggi noodles cooked in their famous masala spice blend, creating a familiar dinner. Some people even add ghee, cheese, or eggs to make it more tasty. Maggie Macaroni is more than just a quick dinner; it’s an innovative solution for folks with limited finances and time.
Curry Patta Pasta
Curry Patta (curry leaf) Pasta mixes the tastes of South India with Italian pasta. The essential ingredient, curry leaves, is sautéed with mustard seeds, dry red chillies, and spices like cumin and turmeric. This tadka (tempering) creates the basis for the macaroni, giving the meal a South Indian taste. Curry Patta Pasta is surely something special for people who enjoy the taste of pasta and the rich flavours of Indian spices.
Mayo/Dahi Pasta
Mayo Dahi Pasta combines macaroni, sour yoghurt, and creamy mayonnaise. Mixing yoghurt and mayo with the spaghetti to make a creamy, somewhat sour sauce. A chaat masala, cumin powder, and occasionally chopped onions and tomatoes are used too. Mayo dahi pasta is a common option for informal dining and is frequently offered as a side dish or quick snack.
These pasta dishes may seem weird at first, but they slowly become the core memory of every student deciding on a hostel with Limited food resources. Explore and reminisce about your college pasta with your friends this World Pasta Day.