Achari Mac and Cheese with Rotli Crumbs
This rich and creamy baked mac and cheese is a such favorite with delicious flavorful achari cheese sauce and crunchy Vaghareli Rotli crumbs on top. It cannot get anymore desi than that.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Achaari Mac and Cheese
- 1 ½ cup macaroni Elbow shape
- 1 cup Milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp Achari masala powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups mix shredded cheeses Gouda, Mozzarella and Mexican blend
Vaghareli Rotli Crumbs
- 1/2 cup Vaghareli Rotli Crumbs
- 2-3 rotis or rotlis cut into small pieces
- 2 curry leaves
- 2 tbsp oil
- ¼ tsp red chili powder
- 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Achaari Mac and Cheese
- In a boiling pot of water add salt and pasta. Cook it according to the package instructions. Drain and let it set aside. At the same time, on another side start heating up milk and cream in a pot on medium heat.
- The milk and cream mix should only be heated up it should not be boiling.
- In a pot or pan, melt butter on medium heat. Add flour and whisk it while it keeps cooking for about 2 minutes. Add chopped shallots too. Do not rush this process, or else flour will burn, and you will have start over. Let the raw smell go away and the flour will change slightly in color too.
- Add hot mixture of cream and milk carefully while whisking the flour and cook it until it is thickened. It only takes 2-3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, add some of the grated cheeses, salt and seasonings – achari masala, extra red chili powder, turmeric powder, garlic powder and garam masala. Add tomato paste too. Stir to mix.
- Add cooked macaroni pasta and stir it well to mix. Transfer this to lightly greased baking dish or muffin pans if you like to serve it into muffin shape.
- Bake it at 375 F for about 25 minutes in a pre-heated oven or until the cheese has melted and the top looks golden. If you want extra crispy top, bake few minutes extra. Make sure to use timer.
- Once the pasta bakes and is ready to serve, serve it with a side of rotli crumbs.
Vaghareli Rotli
- Vaghareli Rotli is optional. But this is a good time to make it while the pasta bakes. Ideally breadcrumbs are added with cheese on top layer, but I purposely left it on side as individual topping.
- Take store-bought or leftover rotis that are a day old. Tear them up into smaller pieces. Leave it aside.
- Heat up some oil in a pan. Add curry leaves, rotli pieces and tiny pinch of red chili powder, turmeric and some salt. Toss everything and let it crisp up. It will take 5-7 minutes or little longer to crisp up. Once its crispy, turn off the heat. Let it cool down. If you can, crumble it with your hands or use a food processor and depending on the thickness of the crumb you prefer, pulse it. If you like the taste of curry leaves then crush it or remove it if you do not like the flavor. I left them.
Notes
- Use any type of cheeses you love, because its important you love the taste of it.
- The idea is to use melty cheeses or cheeses that melt to create that cheesy sauce. Also keep in mind the flavor of the cheese. Cheeses like gouda, mozzarella, sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, Swiss, Gruyere.
- Make sure pasta is al dente, no one likes overcooked pasta and the fact we will be baking it, it will cook further.
- This can be prepared in advance and baked just before serving.