Now give us a good reason why the grown-ups should be left out when the kids eat that yummy Mac ‘n’ Cheese! Here is a recipe for ‘Desi’ Mac (macaroni and cheese) and as the name suggests, it is full of flavor and other goodies that you will be proud to eat as well as serve your family!
Ingredients:
Elbow Macaroni – 2 cups
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves – few
Garlic – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Mushrooms – 8 oz, sliced thick
Onion – 1 med., chopped
Red & Green Bell Pepper – 1/2 each, chopped
Salt – to taste
Black Pepper – to taste
Red Chili Flakes – to taste
Soy Sauce – 3 tbsp
White Vinegar – 1 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup – 3 tbsp
Spinach – 1 cup, chopped
Cilantro – 10 sprigs, finely chopped
Shredded Cheese – 1.5 cups
Bread Crumbs – as needed
Butter – for topping
Cooking spray
Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cook the Macaroni as per package instructions for al dente with a little salt. Drain and keep aside.
3. Heat a medium size pan on medium heat.
4. Add in the Oil. Allow it to heat up.
5. Add in the Mustard Seeds and allow them to pop.
6. Add in the Curry Leaves and the chopped Garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.
7. Add in the Mushrooms and a little salt (to speedup the cooking process) and turn up the heat/flame for this step.
8. The Mushrooms will let water go and then the water needs to evaporate.
9. Once that is done, add in the Onions and the bellpeppers.
10. Sprinkle some Black Pepper and red Chili Flakes and saute fr 3 minutes.
11. Add in the sauces – White Vinegar, Soy Sauce and Ketchup, saute for 1-2 minutes.
12. Add in Cilantro/Coriander Leaves and Spinach and give it a quick toss.
13. Lightly grease the casserole dish that is to be used for baking with Cooking Spray and keep aside.
14. Add the Macaroni to the vegetables and give it a good mix.
15. Turn the stove off and add in the Shredded Cheese.
16. Mix well and mix very fast and pour the macaroni into the casserole.
17. Level the mixture and sprinkle some Bread Crumbs on top with a few blobs of Butter.
18. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees F and then broil for 2 minutes to give it a golden color on top.
19. Serve hot with some garlic bread and/or some soup. Serves 8.
Tip:
1. If Elbow Macaroni is not available, use any pasta.
2. Add in chopped Green Chilies for an additional kick.
3. Drizzle a little oil on the Macaroni after boiling and draining it. It will prevent it from sticking and clumping together.
