15 min Chilli Garlic Pasta w/ Curried Breadcrumbs – Serves one, because even when it’s just you, you deserve something special.
I am a creature of solitude, and my favorite thing in the world is cooking for myself. Unencumbered by decisions and tastes beyond my own, it is the simple, most organic thing to do. And it is during these perfect moments of blissful solitude, with no one to please but myself, that I make the most rustic, delicious meals.
The only thing that could make said day better, is opening the fridge/pantry and finding just a smattering of ingredients that barely make half a recipe. Yes, that sounds awful, but hear me out, will you? We, humans, are creatures of habit. Day in and day out, we eat the same things. Maybe not the same thing every day, but there’s usually a finite pool of recipes and we almost always fish something out of that pool. Caught in the humdrum of a busy day, it’s just easier to enjoy the mindless comfort that familiarity brings.
But when you end up with a nearly bare pantry, that’s when the magic truly begins. If you don’t cave in and go for an impromptu grocery run, you may just create something new to add to your weekly recipe pool. Except this one, comes with a story and your unique fingerprint.
And that’s how I chanced upon this Chilli Garlic Pasta w/ Curried Breadcrumbs. One perfect day, I found myself staring at a nearly empty pantry, with just the bare essentials: half a box of angel hair pasta. The last tiny spoon of curry powder. One shriveled jalapeno. Half a red onion. Half a lemon. There was a bag of stale bread slices in the freezer. Salt and Oil. The only two things I had an excess of was garlic and my trusty fried red chili flakes.
The ingredients neither made noodles, nor pasta, but maybe they could make a little of both. And that’s what this was. A little of both, made something more by the gorgeously curried breadcrumbs.
I loved the mess of flavors it created that I made it again and then again. The curried breadcrumbs are a life changer. I wish I could top everything, including breakfast with it. The only thing that I could think of that would have (maybe) made this a little better, was a touch of black truffles.
So the next time you find yourself alone, cook yourself something new, something you’ve never tried or tasted before. Break the monotonousness with something exciting, challenge yourself and you might be pleasantly surprised.
And don’t be afraid to be alone sometimes. It’s really not the worst thing in the world to enjoy your own company; undiluted by the influence of others, you may just discover something new about your true self.
Notes:
- Curry Powder – As an Indian, while the generic word ‘curry powder’ irks me, in this case, it means use whatever spice blend you use to make your favorite curry. The flavors of chilli and garlic are pretty common to most curries in the world, so any curry powder you use, should blend in seamlessly.
- I’ve used Angel hair pasta here, but vermicelli, spaghettini or any other noodle is a perfectly acceptable substitute. The idea behind this recipe is to use literally what little you have at hand without complicating things. But the flavor is better enjoyed with a thinner form of pasta.
- The curried breadcrumbs can be made in bulk and stored in a clean, dry, air-tight container for upto a week or longer, until the oil turns rancid.
When you make this delicious Chilli Garlic Pasta w/ Curried Breadcrumbs (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!
Sanjib Kumar Das says
Desicious dish
Priya says
you nailed it totally… This pasta looks delish..