Masala Mac & Cheese
Like most other kids, my boys have loved Mac and Cheese since they were old enough to chew. I remember making a trip to India when my son was a toddler, armed with packages of Mac & Cheese. My boys still love Mac and Cheese, but at 17 and 14, they are all grown up and deserve something familiar, but a bit more adventurous. This Masala Mac and Cheese combines the techniques of making a curry and a béchamel and blends it together to create a great new twist to this recipe. This is also a great recipe to introduce your kids to new flavours by sneaking it into something familiar.
In this recipe the technique of making a curry and a béchamel are fused together to create something a bit more sophisticated. Since my boys love some protein, I’m adding chicken in this recipe, but you could easily make it without. You can also customize this recipe by choosing a different type of pasta or a combination of cheese – just have fun with it!
Ingredients
1 lb chicken cut in small pieces
1 onion chopped
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp each cumin & chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tomatoes (about 1.5 cups)
4 tbsps butter
4 tbsps all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
400gms fusili noodles
2 cups grated mozzarella and cheddar
Process
Heat some oil in a sauté pan and sauté the onion
Once the onion has browned, add the chicken, followed by the spices, garlic paste and tomatoes
Add salt and cover to cook
Uncover and take out of pan and keep aside
In the same pan melt the butter and stir in the flour to form a roux
Add the milk in a little at a time, stirring to remove lumps
When it’s all dissolved, add the grated Asiago
While the béchamel is thickening, boil the pasta according to the package instructions and drain
Tip the pasta into the béchamel, together with the masala base and combine
Add to a bake proof dish, cover with 2 cups of cheese and bake till the cheese has melted and golden
View my full video: https://youtu.be/V_r4tnWDG78
Photo by: Adam Ahmed