Posted by on Oct 10, 2014 in Eat | 0 comments

The moment you’ve all been waiting for! Remember the epic mac and cheese cook-off I hosted a few months ago? We had everything from mac and cheese waffles to jalapeño poppers stuffed with cheesy noodle goodness. With over 24 entries, Sejal Patel’s Tikka Masala Mac and Cheese was deemed the winner. He has taken the time to re-create his delicious Indian-style macaroni cheese. Below is the recipe for this savory fusion macaroni and cheese. Enjoy!

Tikka Masala Mac and Cheese
Recipe by Sejal Patel

Chicken/Paneer Tikka:

The first step is to marinate and cook the Tikka. One of the great things about this recipe is that you can make it vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds Chicken Breast/Paneer
1 cup Plain Yogurt
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Red Chili Pepper
¼ teaspoon Turmeric
1 tablespoon Ground Coriander
1 tablespoon Tandoori Powder
½ teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
¼ cup Kasoori Methi (Found at any Indian grocery store)
¼ cup chopped Cilantro
1 teaspoon ground fresh Ginger
1 teaspoon ground fresh Green Chili
2 teaspoons ground fresh Garlic

Directions:

  1. Cut the Chicken/Paneer into small cubes.
  2. Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl to create the Tikka marinade.
  3. Marinate the Chicken/Paneer for about 30 minutes.
  4. Grill or bake the Chicken/Paneer. If baking then cook on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. (Turn the boiler on high for the last 5 minutes of cooking); set aside.

Macaroni

While the Chicken/Paneer is cooking go ahead and cook the Macaroni.

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) box of Macaroni

Directions:

  1. Cook and drain Macaroni according to package directions; set aside.

Cilantro/Jalapeno Cheese Sauce:

Once the Chicken/Paneer Tikka is cooked you can prepare the cheese sauce.

Ingredients:

½ cup Yogurt
1 cup chopped Cilantro
1 large Jalapeno (Add more to increase spiciness)
2 teaspoon Cumin
2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
½ teaspoon Salt
½ Stick Butter
¼ cup Flour
1 ½ cups Milk
1 can Nacho Cheese or Queso Blanco (You can usually find this near the Velveeta cheese. If you can’t find it, then you can use 1 jar of any queso found in the salsa aisle)
4oz shredded Pepper Jack Cheese

Directions:

  1. Throw the first 6 ingredients into a food processor/blender to create the Cilantro/Jalapeno Chutney; set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan melt butter.
  3. Add flour using a whisk to stir until well blended.
  4. Pour milk in gradually; stirring constantly.
  5. Empty the cheese can into the mixture.
  6. Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).
  7. Mix in the Cilantro/Jalapeno Chutney you prepared above.
  8. Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes.
  9. Add shredded cheddar little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
  10. Turn off flame and set aside.

Assembly:

The final step of this recipe is to put all the components together.

  1. Transfer the cooked macaroni to a buttered baking dish.
  2. Mix in the Chicken/Paneer Tikka and 12 ounces of shredded Gruyere Cheese.
  3. Pour the Cilantro/Jalapeno Cheese sauce and make sure all the macaroni is coated.
  4. Sprinkle with your favorite breadcrumbs. (I personally add a topping of crushed Papad/Papri for an Indian twist. Papad/Papri is usually found at your local Indian store)
  5. Bake 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Mac and Cheese Cook-Off Photo Gallery