Special Mac and Cheese

In India, Mac n cheese isn't very popular for obvious reasons.

1. We don't see too much cheese as comfort food.

2. We are all so used to having flavourful things that too much cheese without any flavour just won't cut it for us.

3. Dal chawal dedo, bas hua comfort. Pasta is not comfort, pasta is a special thing that needs to be made as per our taste.

So I thought why not tweak the flavours of Mac and Cheese and improve them to cater to our desi taste? So I came up with this recipe adding a textural difference and notes of certain Indian tastes that would really enhance the profile.

Ingredients:

Macaroni Pasta (Boiled in salted water as per the doneness you like)

1 tsp Garlic

1/2 an Onion

3 Sliced Mushrooms

2 tbsp of Carrot julienne

1 tbsp flour

1tbsp butter

3/4th cup Milk ( or water or a mixture of both)

11/2 tbsp Tomato puree

1 Laughing cow cheese triangle

20g Natural Cheddar

20g Colby Cheese

Salt to taste (I didn't add any)

For the crumb:

Breadcrumbs from 2 slices of bread

Chopped coriander

1tbsp oil

2 cloves Chopped garlic

Mixed herbs

Chilly flakes

Salt to taste (I didn't add any)

Let's have a look at the method

1. Boil the pasta in salted water as per the doneness that you prefer. I know pasta is supposed to be eaten al-dante. But, if you do not enjoy it that way, you shouldn't consume it. Cook it as per your liking and enjoy it, because you're in for a treat.

2. In a pan add all veggies along with a little oil and garlic to cook the veggies in order to soften them. These little bits of veggies will also add texture along with some nutrition that a normal mac n cheese clearly lacks.

3. When the veggies are done, remove them in a bowl and set aside.

4. In the same pan, add flour and butter and cook the roux for a minute till the raw taste of the flour is gone. Add milk and water and cook till the mixture thickens. Add in 11/2 tbsp of tomato puree and mix well. Because of the flour in the mixture, the milk won't split (One thing I surely know is that Pink pasta never fails, so I'm bringing in that element with the addition of a little bit of tomato puree)

5. Once the sauce has thickened you can add all the veggies back to the sauce along with all 3 types of grated cheese.

6. Then add the boiled macaroni and stir well.

7. Taste for seasoning and adjust the salt, mixed herbs and chilli flakes ratio as per your liking.

8. For the Crumb, add all ingredients to a pan and saute till the breadcrumbs lose their moisture and turn crispy. Add a heavy helping of this over your prepared mac n cheese for a textural parade