Prajita Gupta
Wai-Wai has almost been a staple to us Nepalis and we always find a way to get our hands on a packet in one way or the other. We take it as a breakfast, lunch, evening snacks or dinner: basically, no time of the day is wrong for consuming this deep-fried noodle snack that has been around since as long as we have known noodles in Nepal.
At some point in life as a student, you should remember having wai-wai almost daily; sometimes even twice or thrice a day. The days wouldn’t be complete without the taste of wai-wai. Even for such hardcore fans of wai-wai, the plain old wai-wai starts to get boring at times. And then we wish we could spice the wai-wai eating experience up.
Here are the most famous twists that we could use for the same old wai-wai to get a taste that will make you want to never leave wai-wai alone again:
1. Wai-Wai Sandheko:
Just like aloo sandheko or badaam sandheko, this is another addition to the sandheko family. It has recently started gaining quite some popularity among the youth and even school/college canteens have started serving this dish on their official menu.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients: Wai-Wai, onion, tomatoes, lemon, chilly, oil.
How to:
• Use a bowl to mix the contents of the packet of wai-wai.
• Finely chop the onion, tomatoes and chilly.
• Mix with the wai-wai in the bowl. Add lemon juice and a teaspoon of oil.
• Mix well and consume within some time to avoid soggy noodles.
2. Wai-Wai Burrito:
A Nepali wai-wai take on the classic Mexican dish of burritos, with the filling replaced with wai-wai noodles. It is easy to carry and hunger satisfying snack that can change the taste and even the way that you take your wai-wai.
Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Ingredients: Wai-Wai, onion, tomatoes, chilly, flour tortilla/ flour chapatti, tomato or cheese sauce for taste.
How to:
• Fry the wai-wai noodles with chopped onions, tomatoes, chilly and other ingredients.
• Take a tortilla or chapatti and lay it on a flat surface for ease of rolling.
• Scoop spoonfuls of fried wai-wai and place at the center of the tortilla.
• Start rolling it horizontally until all the noodles are wrapped in it and do not spill.
• Top with tomato or cheese sauce to taste and enjoy.
3. Wai-wai Rice:
Just your regular fried rice with an addition of wai-wai noodles can make a filling lunch or dinner for you. It is easy to make and easier to eat, all while satiating your hunger along with your love for wai-wai.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Ingredients: Wai-Wai, cooked rice, vegetables, and seasonings to taste.
How to:
- Heat oil and fry all the vegetables and other ingredients such as meat, egg, mushroom until brown.
- Add wai-wai and a small cup of water to let the noodles cook. Add seasonings from the packet and boil until all water is evaporated.
- Add cooked rice, turmeric and salt to taste.
- Mix well until the rice and wai-wai are cooked consistently.
4. Wai-Wai Sandwich:
A sandwich with fried Wai-Wai as the stuffing might sound weird but sure tastes good. The easiest recipe on this list and the one that doesn’t take as much time to prepare as it needs to be appreciated, you should definitely try this dish out at home once.
Preparation time: 8 minutes
Ingredients: Wai-Wai, Bread loafs.
How to:
- Prepare fried wai-wai in the same manner as prepared in wai-wai burrito or wai-wai rice.
- Take a loaf of bread and top with fried wai-wai noodles. Place another loaf on top.
- Add cheese, eggs or other ingredients to taste.
- Toast the sandwich in butter if you want or consume just as it is.
