Tandoori Pasta – Indian Style Masala Macaroni and Cheese
Creamy, spicy and cheesy Indian style veg tandoori masala macaroni and cheese! This tandoori pasta cheese sauce is full of spices and so easy to make. My sister and I thought this tastes like a paneer pasta dish without the paneer. This dish came together through experiment. Growing up eating traditional food with flavor and a kick makes me want to add spice and level up all types of dishes like in my Cheesy Chole Pasta Indian fusion dish. So if you are looking for a way to up the flavor in your usual pasta, here it is!
Make this quick meal because…
- A quick way to satisfy craving for Indian flavor
- Sneak in some veggies
- Make a comforting meal to dig into
Ingredient Notes And Substitution Ideas
Tandoori masala is key for this dish. I highly recommend getting tandoori masala from an Indian grocery store. At times, I find the Indian blends at stores such as Whole Foods to be inauthentic blends. When buying a tandoori or tikka masala blend, check the ingredients to make sure there aren’t unnecessary colors added to it such as Red 40. I used MDH brand for this recipe.
Small shell pasta is my favorite type of pasta to use but you can use any type. I really enjoy how the cheesy sauce is captured in the shells giving a burst of flavor when you eat it!
Cheese – avoid using cheese that is already shredded. Use either a block that you shred yourself or slices as I did. This is because cheese that is already shredded has added ingredients to prevent clumping and that can at times change the texture of the sauce.
Making it vegan
Although I have not tried it this way yet, I would substitute a can of coconut milk for the evaporated milk and a cup of nutritional yeast in place of the cheese. Note, this is just a suggestion, I have not made it this way so I can’t confirm the amounts and consistency of the sauce it would produce.
Jain friendly pasta
Skip the onion and garlic to make this Jain friendly. You can add in a little asofetida (hing) to add more depth of flavor.
Get cooking!
This is an easy meal:
- Finely chop garlic, tomatoes, jalapeno (deseeded) and onions
- Melt butter in pan. Saute onions, garlic, jalapeno and tomatoes.
- Add evaporated milk and cheese.
- Add spices.
- Add in milk to get the right consistency
- Mix in boiled pasta.
Indian macaroni and cheese is ready!
Try it? Leave a review, love to hear feedback! Or tag me on Instagram @some_indian_girl
Tandoori Masala Macaroni and Cheese – Indian Style Pasta
Equipment
- Pot
- pan
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup onion 35g chopped finely
- 1 roma tomato chopped finely (125g)
- 8 oz cheese slices or shredded 228g (dont use pre-shedded)
- 1 cup evaporated milk 8oz
- 1 jalapeno 34g chopped finely
- 2 tsp tandoori masala
- ½ tsp kashmiri chilli
- ¾ tsp salt taste and adjust to preference
- 2½ cups small shells 10oz / 290g
- 3 tbsp whole milk
Instructions
- Heat water to boil in pot and add pasta to cook per instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in pan on medium high. Add onions and garlic. Cooking about two minutes and mixing. Add in tomatoes and jalapenos. Cook two more minutes.
- Add in evaporated milk and cheese, stir until cheese melts. Add in spices/salt and mix. Add in 3 tbsp milk to thin the consistency a little. It will thicken as cools.
- Add cooked pasta to cheese sauce and mix well.
Notes
- Prep ingredients by chopping all very finely!
- Make sure to use an authentic tandoori masala spice blend
- Use cheese from a block or cheese slices to avoid the extra anti-caking ingredients that comes in pre-shredded cheese bags
- You can always change the consistency of the cheese sauce by adding milk to make creamier
- When reheating, adding a little water or milk will also help to loosen consistency of the sauce
