Main among the problems that come with living in a college hostel is the lack of a constant supply of food. The canteen food is nothing to write home about and eating out is not an option on a student budget.
Maggi used to be a hugely popular hostel snack, but all that is history now as Nestlé has recalled Maggi packets from India after reports that they contained lead and mono sodium glutamate beyond acceptable levels. But all is not lost yet. As long as hungry students inhabit college hostels, they will never stop inventing ingenious, easy-to-make snacks.
We asked a few people what their favorite hostel snack was. The answers will help you cope.
Chips/Aloo Bhujiya sandwich
![alloo bhujia]()
This is innovation at its best. Vipul Jangra, a former IIT Delhi student says that this was their ‘party food’. “A pack of chips stuffed inside two pieces of bread with a bit of ketchup was complete bliss,” he said.
Biscuit cake
![biscuit jam]()
Way before Jam Tart and Oreos came, there was Biscuit cake, thanks to college hostels. “We would spread jam in between two biscuits. And, sometimes, when we didn’t want it to taste sweet, we would put cheese in it,” said Aly Basith, a former student at Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad.
Mayonnaise/Nutella Idlis
![nutella]()
This was one of the favorite snacks of students studying in Asian College of Journalism in Chennai. A refrigerator on every floor made it convenient for students to store mayonnaise and Nutella. “When they served us idlis in the canteen, we would bring them to our rooms and dip it in mayonnaise and have them,” said Kaushani Banerjee, a former ACJ student.
Even years after graduating, the habit stayed on. Banerjee still loves her idlis with mayonnaise, not chutney.
Mouthful of Cerelac
![nestle cerelac]()
“We used to have Cerelac in copious amount during our stay at the hostel in Ranchi Institute of Neuro Psychiatry and Allied Sciences,” says Priyadarshini Baishnab, a clinical psychologist who currently resides in New Jersey.
The 25-year-old says that their favorite was the wheat and apple flavoured one and they would finish a pack in just two days. “It is healthy, delicious and on days, would even serve as dinner,” she said.
Peanut Masala
![peanut masala]()
Anindya DuttaGupta, a Phd student at Jawaharlal Nehru University spoke about a delicious snack that they would make on days when the mess was closed. “We used to chop a few onions and chillies and mix it with the Rs 10 pack of roasted peanuts. We would add some lemon juice to it and have it with bread,” he said.
What glorious snacks did you invent in your college? Tell us in the comments section.
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Maggi used to be a hugely popular hostel snack, but all that is history now as Nestlé has recalled Maggi packets from India after reports that they contained lead and mono sodium glutamate beyond acceptable levels. But all is not lost yet. As long as hungry students inhabit college hostels, they will never stop inventing ingenious, easy-to-make snacks.
We asked a few people what their favorite hostel snack was. The answers will help you cope.
Chips/Aloo Bhujiya sandwich
This is innovation at its best. Vipul Jangra, a former IIT Delhi student says that this was their ‘party food’. “A pack of chips stuffed inside two pieces of bread with a bit of ketchup was complete bliss,” he said.
Biscuit cake
Way before Jam Tart and Oreos came, there was Biscuit cake, thanks to college hostels. “We would spread jam in between two biscuits. And, sometimes, when we didn’t want it to taste sweet, we would put cheese in it,” said Aly Basith, a former student at Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad.
Mayonnaise/Nutella Idlis
This was one of the favorite snacks of students studying in Asian College of Journalism in Chennai. A refrigerator on every floor made it convenient for students to store mayonnaise and Nutella. “When they served us idlis in the canteen, we would bring them to our rooms and dip it in mayonnaise and have them,” said Kaushani Banerjee, a former ACJ student.
Even years after graduating, the habit stayed on. Banerjee still loves her idlis with mayonnaise, not chutney.
Mouthful of Cerelac
“We used to have Cerelac in copious amount during our stay at the hostel in Ranchi Institute of Neuro Psychiatry and Allied Sciences,” says Priyadarshini Baishnab, a clinical psychologist who currently resides in New Jersey.
The 25-year-old says that their favorite was the wheat and apple flavoured one and they would finish a pack in just two days. “It is healthy, delicious and on days, would even serve as dinner,” she said.
Peanut Masala
Anindya DuttaGupta, a Phd student at Jawaharlal Nehru University spoke about a delicious snack that they would make on days when the mess was closed. “We used to chop a few onions and chillies and mix it with the Rs 10 pack of roasted peanuts. We would add some lemon juice to it and have it with bread,” he said.
What glorious snacks did you invent in your college? Tell us in the comments section.
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Follow Us On Twitter | 
Contact HuffPost India