Mac-sala and Cheese

This dish was inspired by my Grandma. Ok so a very, very long time ago (+-7 years) I didn’t know how to cook!

Gasp!

I remember coming home from work one day and making macaroni and cheese, dishing up some for my Grandma and her telling me how bland she thought it was! I was so upset, I mean I’m over it now but back then it really crushed me.

Well you see my Gran loves all things spicy, and well mac and cheese is definitely not that.

This brings me to the present, so I was snacking on some masala chips and got the idea for a masala mac and cheese. Just the idea alone had me whipping out my notepad jotting down measurements and spices.

The end result is absolute perfection, creamy, cheesey and spicy. I know my Gran would be so proud.

Say hello to a new family favorite! Mac-sala and Cheese.

Hope you guys try out this recipe, it has such a gorgeous aroma and the taste is incredible.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

1 large onion, sliced

1 to 2 jalapeños, diced fine

1 red pepper, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder (add more if you’re feeling adventurous)

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon ground jeera/cumin

Salt to taste

300g Macaroni

500ml Milk, reserve 50ml

2 tablespoons corn flour

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup mozeralla cheese, grated

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

Fresh mint and coriander to garnish

Method

1. Boil your pasta in boiling salted water for 8 minutes. You don’t want to overcook your pasta.

2. Sauté the onions and jalapeños until soft and lightly browned. Add in fresh garlic and cook till fragrant – 30 seconds to a minute.

3. Add in all your spices and cook braise for 4 minutes till fragrant – careful not to burn the spices.

4. Add your 450ml of milk to the spices, stir and let it come to a slight boil. Mix in the 2 tablespoons of corn flour into the reserved 50ml of milk. Once the milk on the stove comes to a boil add in your roux and whisk continously until thick. This helps get rid of possible lumps.

5. Add in your cheeses and mix until they’ve melted. Add salt. I like adding salt after I’ve added the cheese since cheese itself can be really salty.

6. Pour your sauce over your pasta and mix through. Pop onto a oven safe dish and top with extra cheese and bake until the cheese topping is nice and golden brown.

Garnish with fresh coriander, chilli flakes and mint and for extra crunch some papaddums.