Trail Chef: Spicy--and ultralight!--Curry Noodles

Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter shares her favorite freezer bag meal

It might be spring, but winter is very much on our minds over here at Backpacker—Boulder is being pummeled with up to two feet of snow right this minute. That means powdery adventures are on tap for this weekend (yay!), but packs will be laden with extra cold-weather gear (boo!).

Lighten your load and still eat like a queen with this ultralight meal, courtesy of our discriminating Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter. As she puts it: "It requires a bit of upfront prep work at home, but pretty much zero work in camp. It's superlight and, man, does it taste good! Way better than anything prepackaged." The secret: Dehydrated ingredients + a freezer bag. (Frequent backpacker.com contributor Sarah Kirkconnel share this smart technique with us back in December 2007.)



Spicy Curry Noodle Bowl
Just 6 ounces per serving!

At home, combine in a quart-size zip-top bag:

1 serving of Asian cellophane noodles (they typically come in large bricks. Break off a chunk of about 3 by 6 inches)
¼ cup dehydrated meat of your choice (burger or chicken)
¼ cup dehydrated mixed veggies
1 tbsp. curry
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. coriander
1 tbsp. garam masala
½ tsp. ground ginger
2 tbsp. coconut cream powder
2 tbsp. dry milk
Dash of cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
Handful of cashews
In camp, add about 1 ½ cups boiling water to baggie. Squish it around and let it rest in a cozy for about 10 minutes, or until everything is tender. Top with cashews.

Like the sound of that? Check out more of Kristin's favorite ultralight, one-bag meals; plus, learn how to pull off a John Muir Trail hike with an absurdly light pack, get your base weight under 15 pounds, and outfit an ultralight kitchen.

—Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

Photo credit: Justin Bailie