We’re moving on with our Indian-spiced Thanksgiving. I kicked things off with a simple but tasty turkey tenderloin, but am now onto the sides which, I think many would agree, are the real stars of the show. This year I’m twisting up macaroni and cheese with an achari spice for this achari macaroni and cheese.
Now, in my house, we don’t typically have macaroni and cheese since we’re not all that big a pasta family. We go for the rice and the potatoes, food of my ancestors and so pasta made a rare appearance, and that explains why you almost never see it on this blogroll. It’s just never been my tradition, but can I confess that I just love macaroni and cheese?
It’s always been an indulgence, and one of my favorite meals of the year was around my birthday in Chicago when I’d treat myself to the lobster mac and cheese from Devon seafood grill. OMG, so good.
Anyway, it was time to throw some mac into my Thanksgiving tradition, and the inspiration for this came from this article in Food and Wine that meshed southern-US cuisine with Indian. The recipes all caught my eye, but the achari pimento dip really caught my imagination, and here we are.
The spice mix is unique and one that I’d never had before. The trick, as with many an Indian dish, is to toast the whole spices to best enhance their flavor, and then grind them up. I did that here, and the mix of coriander, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, nigella, fennel, chilli powder, and black pepper blew me away.
As for the mac, I kept traditional with a béchamel base, and a mix of smoked gouda and white, sharp cheddar to complement the spices. Whole wheat pasta seemed like the thing to do here, so that’s what I did.
Finished with a bit of green for green’s sake, this was a favorite of my friends giving guest. And if you’ve got leftovers, bake it in the oven for a slow warm up.
Achari Macaroni and Cheese
Indian-spiced achari macaroni and cheese blends east and west with this hearty comfort food with a kick that will warm you from top to toe.
Ingredients
- 3 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorn
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 TB butter
- 2 TB all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups 2% or whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded smoked gouda
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar
- 1 pound macaroni pasta, cooked to al dente
- Green onion, to garnish
Directions
- Step 1 First, toast the spices. Combine coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds,nigellai, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and peppercorns in a small skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until fragrant but not burnt, about 2 minutes. Remove from skillet, and cool completely. Transfer to a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, and grind to a fine powder. Add the chili powder. Set aside.
- Step 2 Second, make the cheese. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add butter. When butter melts, add flour and combine. Gently cook, whisking flour and butter together, until smooth and flour has had a chance to cook, about 2 minutes. Slowly add milk, continually whisking.
- Step 3 Gently bring milk to a bubble while stirring frequently. Stir in the cheese, a handful at a time, slowly stirring in a figure 8 until the cheese has all melted. Add the spice mix and add a bit of salt, as needed. Add cooked macaroni to sauce and coat completely. Garnish with green onions and serve hot.
