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Masala macaroni
Spiced vegetable macaroni
मसाला मैकरोनी: elbow macaroni tossed in a mild onion-tomato masala with peas, carrot and sweetcorn, the Indian lunchbox favourite
Pasta arrived in Indian kitchens through Irani cafés and school canteens, and home cooks quickly made it their own. This tiffin favourite from cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru cooks elbow macaroni until just tender, then tosses it in a cumin-scented onion and tomato masala with soft carrot, peas, capsicum and sweetcorn. The spice stays gentle (a little Kashmiri chilli for colour, turmeric, coriander and a pinch of garam masala) and a spoonful of ketchup adds the sweet-sour note children expect. It is good hot for dinner and still tasty at room temperature in a lunchbox by midday. Grated cheese on top is optional; most cheddar and processed cheese uses animal rennet unless labelled vegetarian, so choose a vegetarian one. Chef's tip: keep a cup of the starchy pasta water; a splash at the end turns the masala into a light sauce that clings to every piece instead of sitting at the bottom.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 7 oz elbow macaroni
- 1 tsp saltfor the pasta water
For the masala
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 carrotfinely diced
- ½ green capsicum (bell pepper)diced
- 1 ¾ oz green peasfresh or frozen
- 1 ¾ oz sweetcorn kernels
- 2 tomatoesfinely chopped
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
To serve
- ⅓ oz fresh coriander (optional)chopped
- 1 ⅜ oz cheddar or processed cheese (optional)grated; uses cheese made with animal rennet unless labelled vegetarian; choose a vegetarian one
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Bring 2 litres of water to the boil with 1 tsp salt. Add 7 oz elbow macaroni and cook for 1 minute less than the packet says, until tender with a slight bite. Scoop out a mugful of the water, then drain. Common mistake: cooking the pasta soft at this stage; it cooks again in the masala and turns mushy.
10 minStep 2: Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil and 1 tbsp butter in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add ½ tsp cumin seeds and let it sizzle for a few seconds.
Step 3: Add 1 onion and fry for 3–4 minutes until soft and pale gold. Stir in 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and cook for 30 seconds until it smells cooked.
4 minStep 4: Add 1 carrot, ½ green capsicum (bell pepper), 1 ¾ oz green peas and 1 ¾ oz sweetcorn kernels with a splash of water. Cover and cook for 3–4 minutes until the carrot is just tender.
4 minStep 5: Add 2 tomatoes, ¼ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp ground coriander and ½ tsp salt. Cook, mashing, for 4–5 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and the masala looks glossy.
5 minStep 6: Stir in ¼ tsp garam masala and 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, then tip in the macaroni with 4–5 tablespoons of the pasta water. Toss over a low heat for 1–2 minutes until the masala coats every piece.
2 minStep 7: Serve hot, scattered with ⅓ oz fresh coriander and 1 ⅜ oz cheddar or processed cheese if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does masala macaroni take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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