Are you team Mac ‘n’ cheese?

Mac ‘n’ cheese in our eyes is the original food mash up that became a classic favourite not only in America but also in the UK. No Thanksgiving table is complete without a side of this gooey dish, and while it is definitely up there leading the way in the list of comfort foods, not everyone is as pleased to see it on their plate. Case in point, Gabriel Malor, an attorney from Oklahoma who recently went on to invite the ire of none other than Harry Potter author, JK Rowling. 

Malor slammed the dish in a tweet, which was noticed by Rowling, and while he later admitted to losing over a hundred followers in the process, it made us think about how the dish has found favour back home. You will find the classic favourite but as well as desi versions of it. From pizzas, cones to a bowl of spicy macaroni and cheese, chefs reveal the details of the double life of this classic dish and why you should try their version of it.

Jalapeno Popper Mac & Cheese at Candy and Green

Why you should try it: For a spicy kick. According to Shraddha Bhansali, founder and MD, Candy and Green, theirs is a take on the American favourite. She adds, “The cheese and jalapeno combination works very well for the Indian palate, and the baked panko crust on top gives it a nice crunchy texture.”

Twisted Mac at Hard Rock Cafe

Why you should try it: If you want something familiar yet different. Culinary director at Hard Rock Cafe — JSM Corp, Cyrus Irani, says, “We use the spiral Cavatappi pasta to make our Mac ‘n’ Cheese. What distinguishes us from the others is our combination of Rigatoni and Macaroni. While the Rigatoni pasta goes in the sauce because of its line-like texture, the Cavatappi is spiral and can hold a good amount of thin sauce. This makes the pasta extremely saucy and cheesy both from the outside and the inside. Apart from this, we add a dash of spicy buffalo wing sauce with sharp cheddar and finish it with Romano Parmesan crumb, pan cooked bread crumbs and top it with assorted herbs.”

Good Ol’ Mac ‘N’ Cheese at The Broadway

Why you should try it: For a cheesy bite. Head chef Devki Das recommends their version of the classic dish with some additions. She says, “Macaroni here is made with the Parmesan cheese, and we also add some veggies like broccoli and baby corn. It’s then baked with Brandy Herb White Sauce.”

Mac ‘n’ Cheese at Gateway Taproom

Why you should try it: For its desi spin. Consulting chef Viraf Patel says, “The inspiration came from a meal we had in Bologna, Italy at a small restaurant where the chef/owner, while interacting with me, said, ‘You’ve been travelling through Italy for so many days, your son must be missing curry, I’ll make him something.’ And then he came out with a chicken curry of his version, a veloute with succulent chicken and curry powder on it. My son loved the dish and we couldn’t help but get inspired by it. Mac N Cheese at Gateway Taproom is a vegetarian version of an Indian inspired dish and our take on the classic American dish.”

Mac ‘n’ Cheese at BKC Dive

Why you should try it: For staying true to the original dish.  Munavar Taher Peerzade, head chef at BKC Dive, says, “Ours is a classic combination of different types of cheese and macaroni pasta. It is deliciously gooey, cheesy and is fused with a whole lot of assorted herbs and flavours. We cook it in our house special creamy sauce and whisk it with a generous amount of butter. It is served with loads of cheese and garnished with freshly chopped parsley and a loaf of crunchy garlic bread on the side.”

Truffle Scented Jalapeño & Spinach Mac ‘N’ Cheese at Silver Beach Cafe

Why you should try it: For its twisted flavours. Vincy Rebello, head chef, says, “Ours is a twisted version of the classic mac and cheese, which one never tires of. We wanted to make the classic creamy mac and cheese, but also wanted to try and include some colours and distinct flavours. Even though some of the additions namely truffle and jalapeño can tend to have over powering flavours they merge perfectly when used in small quantities and set off the simple flavour of cheese and pasta. It’s perfect for the winter.”

Cheese and Macaroni Pizza at Tea Villa Cafe

Why you should try it: Its got the best of both worlds — lots of cheese on a crusty pizza. Roopanshi Bhatt, co-owner and menu curator, Tea Villa Cafe, says, “You get to sample the best of both worlds in this one dish. Yummy cheese sauce and macaroni form the toppings of a gooey pizza.”

Mac ‘n’ cheese cones at 145

Why you should try it: To have a bite-sized snack. Chef Brian Lopes, says, “We have taken the classic preparation, and served it in a cone-shaped bread. It oozes cheesy mac as you take a bite.”

Harry Potter creator JK Rowling bats for Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Recently, Gabriel Malor, an attorney from Oklahoma, slammed the comfort food, tweeting, “People. Macaroni and cheese is not a good food. It will never be in the category of good food. It sometimes happens when you have kids or you’re in college or something. That’s it. I know you don’t want it to be true. But deep down, you know it is. Macaroni and cheese at Thanksgiving is a dish that says your ma doesn’t love you enough to mash another potato.” Harry Potter author, JK Rowling decided to shut down the hater, with this tweet, “Reported and blocked”.  He later went on to admit that he lost a hundred or so followers over an hour of tweeting against the gooey favourite.
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DIY Mac and Cheese rollovers

Ingredients
4 Jumbo brown bread slices
200 gms Macaroni
100 gms Grated Parmesan cheese
300 ml Milk
Italian seasoning mix to taste
50 gms Butter
10 gms Refined flour

Method

Boil pasta according to packaged directions. Drain pasta, in the pot that you cooked it in, and heat the butter until melted, then add in flour, and whisk in the milk slowly. This will create a thick sauce. Add in cheese and whisk smoothly. Pour pasta into the sauce and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste and put the mixture in a freezer for 45 minutes to solidify. Once the mixture is set, demold and cut into strips. Take the slice of bread, cut the sides and roll the strips of mac and cheese into it. Heat the pan, and add butter. Put the mac and cheese roll on the pan, and cook while turning it on all sides. Cook till you see sauce oozing out from sides. Cut and serve the creamy mac and cheese rollovers.
Recipe courtesy: Chef Sahil Arora, executive chef, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, Powai.