Macaroni Recipe (Indian Style Macaroni Pasta)
This mouth-watering fusion Indian-style Macaroni recipe will leave you wanting more! It is filled with flavor and includes healthy & colorful veggies like carrots, green beans, cauliflower, capsicum, baby corn, potatoes, peas paired with Indian seasonings and herbs. Make the Macaroni Pasta in just 30 minutes and serve as a main or side dish.
About Indian Style Macaroni Recipe
Macaroni is a type or a variety of dry pasta made from durum wheat. These are tubular meaning, they shaped like small narrow tubes with a bent in the center.
There is also a variant called elbow macaroni that has a shape of that of a semicircular curved tube. My macaroni recipe uses the elbow pasta variant.
Macaroni are used to make various pasta dishes like pasta salad, pasta soup and baked pasta casseroles. Macaroni can be easily swapped with other pasta varieties like penne, fusilli, rigatoni and shell pasta.
Make your next macaroni with a twist! This macaroni includes aromatic Indian flavors and is made with fresh veggies. Whenever I make pasta I always add vegetables to make it more nutritious and add some crunch.
I prefer to include our favorite veggies like baby corn, green peas or sweet corn, potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, cauliflower and green beans.
Sometimes I also add veggies like zucchini, cabbage or broccoli. You could opt to add vegetables of your choice. But if you are not a fan of veggies, omit adding them.
I have cooked the vegetables in a pot, but they can be steamed, sautéed in a pan or roasted in an oven instead.
This macaroni pasta has a delicious tangy taste as it is made in an onion-tomato masala sauce. The base sauce is not spicy, so this recipe is suitable for kids. If you want to make it more spicy, add more red chili powder and black pepper powder.
I also add some dried mixed herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, parsley) to the macaroni recipe to elevate the flavors in the dish. You can also add fresh herbs too if you have them.
Unlike the traditional Mac ‘n’ Cheese this pasta is made with a bevy of spices in a fragrant onion-tomato base sauce and does not include cheese or cream. But, feel free to add either cream or cheese if you want.
How to Make Macaroni Recipe
Cook Macaroni
1. Heat 3 cups of water and ½ a teaspoon of salt in a saucepan or pot. Bring to a boil.
2. Add 1 heaped cup (125g) of macaroni or elbow macaroni to the saucepan or pot.
3. Stir with a fork.
4. Cook macaroni on a medium to high heat.
5. Cook macaroni until they are al dente. This means that it should not be too soft and should have bite.
6. Drain the water and set the cooked macaroni aside.
Cook Vegetables
7. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Lower the heat, add ½ a teaspoon of minced or finely chopped garlic.
Alternatively, you can add ½ a teaspoon of ginger paste or ginger-garlic paste instead.
8. Sauté on a low heat for some seconds, until the garlic is light brown or until the raw aroma goes away.
9. Next add ⅓ cup of finely chopped onions.
10. Mix well and sauté onions on a medium to low heat. Stir often.
11. Sauté until the onions soften and turn translucent.
12. Next add 1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes.
13. Mix well.
14. Cover the pan with a lid and check from time to time.
15. Cook tomatoes on a low to medium heat until they soften and become pulpy.
Then sauté without a lid for a few minutes until you see oil separating from the sides of the onion tomato mixture.
16. Add the below listed spices one by one:
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder or paprika
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (ground cumin)
17. Mix and sauté the spices powders for a few seconds until you smell a nice aroma.
18. Next, add 1.25 to 1.5 cups of mixed vegetables and ¼ cup of green peas.
I added baby corn, carrots, green beans, potatoes, capsicum and green peas. Some other great vegetable options are cauliflower or broccoli florets.
Feel free to add any other veggies of your choice. Do chop the veggies in small cubes, so that they cook quickly.
19. Season with salt to taste.
20. Mix well.
21. Pour 1 cup of water into the veggie mix.
22. Mix again.
23. Cover the pan with a lid.
24. Simmer on a low to medium heat until the vegetables are fork tender and cooked well. There should be a bit of curry sauce or gravy sauce in the veggie mixture – about 2 to 3 tablespoons.
Do check from time to time when the vegetables are cooking, to make sure the mixture does not burn. Add more water if necessary.
Make Macaroni Pasta
25. Once the vegetables are cooked and tender, add the cooked macaroni to the saucepan.
There should be some curry sauce in the vegetable mixture, about 2 to 3 tablespoons.
26. Mix well.
27. Simmer macaroni and vegetables on a low to medium-low heat for a few more minutes until all the curry sauce is absorbed or very little is left behind.
Stir gently occasionally or from time to time.
28. Finally add 1 teaspoon of mixed dry herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, parsley) and a few pinches of red chilli flakes.
Feel free to add any dried herbs of your choice. For example, add Italian herbs, Italian seasoning or fresh herbs.
29. Mix again, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
30. Serve Indian style Macaroni Pasta hot or warm. Top with grated cheddar, vegetarian parmesan cheese or cream before serving.
Garnish pasta with finely chopped coriander leaves, parsley or any fresh herb of your choice. Additionally, you can sprinkle chili flakes on top too.
Expert Tips
- Vegetables: This macaroni is adaptable and can be loaded with any vegetables of your choice. Add baby corn, carrots, green beans, potatoes, capsicum, green peas, broccoli or cauliflower. If you are not in the mood for vegetables then feel free to skip them all together. The macaroni will taste just as delicious plain!
- Vegan macaroni: As is, this Indian style macaroni is vegan, but you can add some plant based cream or cheese to it.
- Pasta: My go-to pasta of choice is elbow pasta but feel free to use fussili, penne, spaghetti or rigatoni instead if you don’t have elbow pasta. Follow the same recipe steps to make this mouth-watering pasta dish.
- Tomatoes: Go for ripe, red, juicy and sweet tomatoes for this recipe. Make sure the tomatoes are diced evenly before adding them to the saucepan and cook them on a low to medium heat until they become soft and pulpy.
- Herbs: Adding herbs really lifts the flavors in this dish. I like to add a dried herb mixture that includes basil, thyme, oregano, parsley. Alternatively, you can add fresh herbs, or any other dried herbs of your choice.
FAQs
Yes, you can add mayonnaise once the pasta is cooked. Add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise to the prepared pasta and mix well. However, bear in mind that adding mayonnaise will change the taste of the pasta.
Pasta is made from a dough of wheat flour that is kneaded either with water or eggs. This unleavened dough is then rolled into sheets or other shapes.
These shaped pasta are later cooked by boiling them. Macaroni is a type of dry pasta that has a tubular shape.
Macaroni is very versatile as lots of different ingredients can be added to it. When it comes to vegetables you can add any veggies of your choice. For example, add peas, carrots or broccoli.
Add your favorite cheese like cheddar, mozzarella or vegetarian Parmesan. Season your macaroni according to the seasonings and spices you prefer, or the pungency level preferred. For example, add less or more chili powder to alter the heat of the dish.
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Macaroni Recipe (Indian Style Macaroni Pasta)
This tasty fusion Indian-style Macaroni recipe is filled with flavor and includes veggies like carrots, green beans, cauliflower, capsicum, baby corn, potatoes, peas paired with Indian seasonings and herbs. Make the Macaroni Pasta in just 30 minutes and serve as a main or side dish.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
For cooking macaroni
Other ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil (can use sunflower oil or olive oil)
- ½ teaspoon garlic – minced or finely chopped, or 3 to 4 small garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
- ⅓ cup onions – finely chopped or 1 medium onion
- 1 cup tomatoes – finely chopped & tightly packed or 3 medium tomatoes – 180 grams
- 1.25 to 1.5 cups mix vegetables – chopped, like carrots, green beans, cauliflower, capsicum, baby corn, potatoes etc
- ¼ cup green peas – fresh or frozen
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder (ground black pepper)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- salt as per taste
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon dry herbs (mixed) – basil, thyme, oregano, parsley etc
- 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves or parsley, chopped, for garnish
Cooking macaroni
In a pan, heat 3 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring the water to a boil.
Add the macaroni and stir with a fork.
Begin to cook macaroni pasta on medium to high heat till they are al dente – meaning they should have a slight bite to them.
Drain all the water and keep cooked macaroni aside.
Cooking vegetables
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Lower the heat. Add ½ teaspoon minced garlic or finely chopped garlic. You can also add ½ teaspoon of garlic paste or ½ teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste instead.
Sauté for some seconds on a low heat till the garlic is light brown or till its raw aroma goes away.
Next add the finely chopped onions.
Mix and sauté onions on a medium-low heat stirring often till they become translucent and are softened.
Next add the finely chopped tomatoes and mix well.
Cover the pan with lid. In between do check when cooking tomatoes.
Cook tomatoes on a low to medium-low heat till they soften and become pulpy.
Then sauté tomatoes for a few minutes without the lid until you see oil separating from the onion-tomato masala.
Lower the heat and then add all the ground spice powders one by one.
Mix and sauté the spice powders for some seconds till you get a nice aroma from the ground spices.
Add the chopped mix vegetables and the green peas. Remember to chop the veggies in small cubes, so that they cook quickly.
Season with salt as per taste and mix very well.
Pour 1 cup water and mix again. Cover the pan with lid.
On a medium-low to medium heat simmer till the vegetables are cooked. In between do check and if the water has become less you can add some more water.
After the veggies are tender, there should be a bit of curry sauce or gravy sauce in the veggie mixture – about 2 to 3 tablespoons.
Making macaroni pasta
Once the vegetables are cooked and tender, add the cooked macaroni.
Mix well and cook for a few more minutes until all the curry sauce is absorbed or very little is left behind. Stir occasionally.
Lastly add 1 teaspoon of mixed dry herbs – basil, thyme, oregano, parsley and mix again. Also add a few pinches of red chilli flakes.
Check the seasonings and add more of salt or herbs if required.
Serve Macaroni Pasta hot or warm. You can top with some grated cheddar or vegetarian parmesan cheese or cream before serving.
Garnish the pasta with some finely chopped coriander leaves or parsley or any fresh herb of your choice before serving.
- You can add your choice of vegetables or skip adding the vegetables.
- As is this recipe is vegan, but to make it vegetarian, you can add your preferred cheese for garnish or add some cream to the pasta.
- You can also use a plant based cheese and cream.
- If out of macaroni, swap with fusilli, rigatoni, penne or shell pasta.
- Opt for ripe and red tomatoes that are not too tart or sour.
- Feel free to add dried herbs or fresh herbs of your choice.
Nutrition Facts
Macaroni Recipe (Indian Style Macaroni Pasta)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 336 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Sodium 840mg37%
Potassium 464mg13%
Carbohydrates 51g17%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 4470IU89%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.2mg13%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.1mg6%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 2mg10%
Vitamin B6 0.2mg10%
Vitamin C 21mg25%
Vitamin E 4mg27%
Vitamin K 9µg9%
Calcium 59mg6%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 49µg12%
Iron 2mg11%
Magnesium 61mg15%
Phosphorus 169mg17%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Macaroni recipe is from the archives and first published in August 2018. It has been updated and republished on September 2023.
