Baingan bharta macaroni cheese

Name: Baingan bharta macaroni cheese
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 2 medium aubergines; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 2 green chillies, finely chopped; 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, plus extra to roast the aubergines; 3 spring onions, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 3 tomatoes, skinned and chopped; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp ground coriander; 350g of macaroni pasta; 50g of butter; 50g of plain flour; 800ml of milk; 100g of cheddar, plus 1 extra handful for the topping; 1 handful of breadcrumbs

by Deena Kakaya

Item 1 of 1

Main
easy
Serves 4
1 hour 10 minutes

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Deena serves her macaroni cheese infused with a spiced baingan bharta recipe – a type of Indian aubergine purée that works fantastically with this homely comfort food recipe.

First published in 2016

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I am no stranger to spicing up good, honest macaroni cheese; my dad would make curried mixed vegetable infused macaroni cheese. Cheese and spice work together so well. There is a lot to be said about cheese and comfort and as much can be said about spice and its re-invigoration of the senses; there are some (and in my case, many) days where we need them both for extra fortification.

Baingan bharta is a classic recipe, the roasted and smoky aubergine pulp is curried and mildly spiced, while the macaroni cheese adds nostalgic comfort. Do be careful not to undercook the aubergine, it should be smooth and pulpy…don’t allow for rubbery chunks to ruin the silky pleasure. Other than that, it’s a quick and easy fix for the heart.

Ingredients

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Imperial

Baingan bharta

2 medium aubergines
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp of vegetable oil, plus extra to roast the aubergines
3 spring onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander

Macaroni cheese

350g of macaroni pasta
50g of butter
50g of plain flour
800ml of milk
100g of cheddar, plus 1 extra handful for the topping
1 handful of breadcrumbs

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Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Begin by preparing the aubergines. Coat the aubergines in the oil, then score the skin a few times with a sharp knife. Transfer to a baking tray and place in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the skin has shrivelled and the pulp is soft

Once the aubergines are cool enough to handle, skin them and scoop out the pulp. Mash the pulp with a fork and set aside

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan, then add the ground turmeric, cumin seeds and chillies. When the seeds start to sizzle, add the onions and garlic and sauté for 1 minute

Add the tomatoes, salt, ground cumin, coriander and garam masala. Cook for 5–7 minutes on a medium heat until the tomatoes are pulpy and softened

Stir in the aubergine pulp and cook for a further 5 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside

In a large saucepan bring plenty of water up to the boil and add the macaroni. Cook the pasta for 10 minutes, or as per packet instructions

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a non-stick pan over a low heat, then quickly mix in the plain flour to form a paste, stirring all the time with a whisk

Add the milk and whisk gently to ensure no lumps form. Stir in the cheese and allow the sauce to thicken before removing the pan from the heat

In a large oven-proof dish, combine the curried aubergine pulp and macaroni and mix well, ensuring the curry is evenly distributed throughout the macaroni. Pour in the cheese sauce, mix well again and top with a handful of grated cheese and finally the breadcrumbs

Place the dish under the grill until the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs are golden. Serve immediately

First published in 2016

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Deena Kakaya

Deena is a food writer with work published in UK magazines such as BBC Good Food, Delicious, Cook Veg and Fork.

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