Macaroni Hotpot

This name itself is so cute, isn't it? One just feels like immediately digging in into this hot and comforting sounding food. Well this certainly does live up to its name. It is hot, cheesy and very comforting. That too with the weather in Chennai the way it is right now, all wet and rainy and shockingly enough COLD ( can you believe it?), one feels like eating foods that make one's insides all warm and (sorry to use the word again) comforted.

I had eaten this many many years ago at a friend's place. But never really thought of asking her how to make it or the recipe. But I simply remembered it as a delicious dish, which my kids also enjoyed.

The other day while going through a Tarla Dalal cookbook I chanced upon this recipe. It immediately rang a bell. (imagine that you are reading a comic book and when the character gets a brilliant idea, this bulb lights up above the characters head?? It was exactly like that !!!) I remembered instantly that this was what I had tasted at R's place.

Quickly took out all the ingredients and assembled it and then popped it in the oven.

Out came this delicious dish...

Any tweaking of the recipe will involve 1) cutting the vegetables into small bits rather than the rounds she has suggested and 2) maybe at some point add more tomatoes/tomato paste and substituting the baked beans with corn. Will give an update when I make it with corn.

Now for the recipe....

Ingredients:

100 grams shell or elbow macaroni

1 can Baked beans

3 capsicums, diced into 1 inch bits

3 onions, chopped into 1 inch bits

4 cloves, garlic minced

4 Tomatoes, skinned and chopped finely

5 tablespoons tomato puree

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes

salt to taste

100 grams cooking cheese, grated

Method:

Cook the macaroni in a large pot of water till 'al dente'( 80 % done) and drain. It cooks further during the baking process and we dont want it all breaking it up. It should hold its shape even after the baking process.

Heat the butter in a pan and add the onions and the minced garlic.

When it gets translucent, add the capsicum and saute for a couple of minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook till mushy.

Add the baked beans, tomato puree, red chilli flakes, macaroni and salt.

Put into a baking dish and generously sprinkle grated cooking cheese over and bake at 200 deg C for about 20 mins till the top is bubbling.

Serve hot. You can serve some garlic bread with it, if desired.