Masala Macaroni (मसाला मैकरोनी)

A beguiling clash of East and West, this urban Indian street dish combines macaroni with a buzzing masala of spices, fresh vegetables and a touch of melty cheese.

A popular urban dish in India’s cosmopolitan centres, the Western concept of macaroni was introduced to India through Western occupation, where it was supplied as bulk food source to feed the occupying British workforce. Macaroni featured in most military canteens, where Indian cooks would naturally flavour it according to their own instincts. Macaroni’s usefulness as a long-lasting pantry item became a part of urban food culture, just as it has in many places around the world that had some occupying interaction with the West. Like many desi dishes, this dish too starts with a tempering - spices toasted briefly in oil - before being charged with fresh aromatics. The base of the sauce is actually ketchup, which provides the sweetness and sourness that you need to balance the dish. Finally, a heap of fresh macaroni along with a medley of fresh vegetables captures the spices and aromatics beautifully. And finally, don’t forget the cheese! Shredded, dried mozzarella is readily available in India’s modern urban supermarkets and it takes extremely well to spices. Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

• 300g macaroni pasta (or other short pasta) - boiled and rinsed well

• 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp ground coriander

• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

• 1x shallot, diced

• 2x cloves garlic, diced

• 1x 2cm piece of ginger, grated

• 1-2 green ginger chillies, slices

• 3 tablespoons of tomato ketchup

• 100ml water

• 1x small carrot, grated

• 1x handful of garden peas (frozen is fine)

• handful of grated mozzarella or diced paneer cheese

• handful of coriander, chopped

WALKTHROUGH

1. First, place your macaroni onto boil according to the packet instructions. You can cook the pasta while you make the masala sauce, or drain and rinse the pasta once cooked and keep it aside.

   

2. Place a wok or frying pan onto medium-low heat. When heated, add 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee. Immediately add the 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp chilli powder and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Fry the spices briefly in the oil until toasted and fragrant, about 10-20 seconds.

   

3. Add the diced shallot, 2x cloves of diced garlic, grated ginger and 1-2 sliced green chillies. Fry this mixture for 1 minute at medium heat until softened and fragrant.

   

4. Add the 3 tablespoons of tomato ketchup and fry the mixture until it is reduced and rich, about 2 minutes.

   

   

5. Add the 100ml of water (the pasta cooking water is great). Mix until combined, and bring to a boil amount of sauce. Season the sauce with 1/2 tsp salt.

   

6. Add all of the cooked, drained pasta to the pan and toss until coated in the ingredients. Reduce the heat to low and add the grated carrot and frozen peas. Toss until the vegetables are distributed in the pasta and warmed through.

   

   

   

7. Turn off the heat and add a handful of grated mozzarella cheese. Toss it through the pasta, allowing it to melt.

   

   

8. Serve the masala macaroni hot and enjoy it with a spoon and with a pickle of your choice.