Ingredients
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80g Instant Noodles
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Dry Ingredients
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8-10g torn up Dried MushroomsAbout 1/4 of a small pack
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Small handful, chopped Peanutsunsalted
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1 Tsp Curry Powder
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0.25 Tsp Dry Powdered Vegetable Stock
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0.5 Tsp Sugar
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0.5 Tsp Corn Flour
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0.5 Tsp Chilli Powder
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Wet Ingredients
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0.5 Tsp Light Soy Sauce
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0.5 Tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
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0.5 Tsp Peanut Oil
Directions
This Peanut and Mushroom Curry is the perfect beginner lightweight hiking recipe. I walk in the Northern Ireland’s most dramatic landscape regularly with my dad. As a Venture Scout who cut his teeth in the Mourne Mountains and a Scouter now who tries every year to drag some unwilling Scouts through the hills, it’s safe to say I know the Mournes reasonably well. Despite this, I very rarely complete multi day treks of any real substance. So normally to me, hiking meals consist of maybe a sandwich or, if I’m feeling extravagant, this Pasta Salad.
So when Patricia and I recently hiked the Mourne Wall across two days, weight was a bit of an issue. There would be no Dutch Ovens coming on this hike! I wrote this lightweight noodle recipe for dinner which ended up being served in between Slieve Loughshannagh and Meelbeg.
Dried mushrooms are very easy to get in good supermarkets. I used portobello mushrooms but I could have used shitake or any others. They’re superlight and have good nutritional value. Raw peanuts add a good dose of fats and protein. Mix the dry ingredients in a ziplock bag before you go and keep the liquid ingredients in a small securely closing tub or jar. I opted to add an extra half teaspoon of chilli powder to my bag but Patricia didn’t want her’s too spicy.
The cooking, if you can call it that, is simple. Bring a pot of water to the boil and remember, if you’re using mountain water let it boil for at least a minute. Pour the water into the bag of Peanut and Mushroom Curry and close the bag. Use just enough to cover the noodles. Let it sit for 8-10 minutes smooshing it around every few minutes. If you’re hiking in any conditions similar to us, you’ll have it in your freezing hands, thawing them out through your gloves.
A final tip, if you’re eating out of the bag like we did, use a spoon and not a fork so you don’t puncture it and cover yourself in curry.
Steps
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1
Done
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I used a cheap brand of instant noodles and binned the very salty flavour sachet. Break the noodles up and then put them in the bag, if you try to do it inside the bag you might poke a hole through it. Then measure in the dry ingredients, squeeze out the air and close up the bag. Mix the wet ingredients and store separately in a jar or small tub. Put your lightweight dinner in your ruck ready for your trek. |
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2
Done
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When you're ready for dinner after a hard day in the hills, get your stove out. Bring a pot of water to the boil, it'll boil faster with a lid. Also, if its windy, try making a bit of a wind block. I made a lightweight one with card and foil and I've seen ultralight hardliners carry titanium... a rucksack or a rock can also block the wind. If using mountain water, be sure to bring it to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute. |
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3
Done
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When the water is boiling, carefully pour some into your bags of noodles, just enough to cover them. If you make it too wet, don't worry, it'll just be a bit saucier and that's no bad thing. Close the bag and move everything around in the hot water. Let it sit (or hold in your freezing hands) for around 8-10 minutes, until everything is soft and the mushrooms have rehydrated. Pour in your mixture of oils and the soy sauce and stir together. |
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4
Done
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And that's it! Eat out of the bag to save on washing up. It can be tricky though, I folded the bag down around the pot to make it a bit easier. Use a spoon becuase chopsticks or a fork will go through the bag. |
