Smart devices are everywhere. On my train journey people (including me) have earphone stuck in their head and are swiping and tapping (no longer typing) on their devices. From Iphones, Ipads to Galaxy tabs and Kindles.They are more omnipresent than (dare I say) God!. While it seems we must be smart to have created these things and using them day in and day out, it does make me wonder if we are getting dumb through their use.
We do not remember phone numbers, email addresses, birthdays. Everything is customised and pre-filled as much as possible.
While life is very much easier and intuitive, it does beg thinking whether it is enriched enough.
I am probably what in market analysis would be called a Late Majority. AS and me as a couple probably own the least number of smart devices among all our friends.In fact there was just one since last two years and only now we have increased the number to 2.
The best things though about all this technology is you can connect to those you are closest to. Easily and quickly.
Whatsapp messenger is a case in point. I have a group with two of my college friends on it. We share different lives and timezones. But for the past month or so we have been really connected. When you are swapping texts many times a day there is suddenly so much more to talk about. The tantrum of a child, the irritation of boss, the vagaries of weather. Instead of hearing about something when it is a memory, you suddenly are part of it.
While one such mundane but very relaxing discussion we happened to remember a thing we used to eat. Maggi sandwich. If I could I would probably send this to 'meri Maggi' contest. Apart from the usual canteen, there was a nescafe kiosk within the campus of our college. The best thing served there was maggi sandwich. It sounds yucky but it was good. Piping hot and the quantity always seemed less.
Maggi in India is a not just a brand. It is a way of life. You have maggi when you are a student. You got maggi at home when you wanted to have junk food (McD, KFC were not around every corner). You also got maggi when mum was just fed up of pandering to your taste whimps. In my house maggi was cooked with peas and as many vegetables as it could accommodate. The idea being that if I get one strand of maggi I should be forced to consume at least 1 tablespoon of veggies. That certainly did not endear it to me.
I was reintroduced when I joined college. The dreary stuff of canteen could be bypassed by an order of maggi. We have even tried making it unsuccessfully with a water heater. Maggi is something you have when you are short of time, culinary skills or just motivation of cooking.
We even had a case study on how the maggi brand established itself in India over a long period of time.
I tried recreating the it from what I could recollect.
It is essentially very simple.
Ingredients:
One pack of maggi
Bread of your choice
Tomato sauce
The recipe could be just a single line. Make maggi, put between two slices of bread and toast.
But I am not known for my brevity. So here we go
There is some TLC involved in making the maggi. Because otherwise it would soak the bread.
For 1 packet of maggi, I use just 1 and 1/4 cup of water. Add to it more than half of the maggi masala.
Let the water come to a boil with the masala.
Now add the maggi and break it up. Add little bit of the remaining masala over the top and mix.
It should just take a minute or two at high flame for the liquid to be absorbed and maggi to be cooked.
Ensure that there is no liquid remaining. I prefer to make the sandwich immediately because I hate cold maggi.
Take a slice of bread. Spread two tablespoonful of maggi. Sprinkle the left over masala on it. Put another slice and toast it. I prefer to use a sandwich toaster. But you can use the frying pan, griddle!, or the toaster bags.
Once done, slice them open. They are best accompanied with Maggi Hot and chilli sauce.
I must warn that without memories associated with this sort of a thing, you will probably say goodbye after the first bite.
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