Macaroni Mango Kheer | Pasta Mango payasam - Fusion recipe

 If you ever thought that pasta can only be used in Italian cuisine, then I suggest,you must definitely try this kheer or paysam made from Mac / elbow pasta which is infused with the flavor of Mango and lots of dry fruits . 

Perfectly cooked pasta simmered in milk, sugar and flavored with dryfruits and mango puree is an absolutely royal and rich experience you will feel as you savor spoonfuls from your bowl . You can also use Penne ,but Mac suits best as it is small and easy to enjoy in kheer/Payasam when scooped using a spoon.

We at home love Vermicelli a.k.a Semia Payasam and its a dessert that I make frequently. Once, while making semia paysam I was cooking pasta for dinner simultaneously and that's when it struck to me why not try making kheer using boiled pasta ?? The idea just kept getting pushed away but yesterday I finally decided I have to make this before the mango puree got polished off . 

Fusion cooking is fun as we get to explore an array of ingredients as well as cuisines too . I too have a good share of experiments with Fusion some which are a hit while some are miss . Some fusion hits from my blog for you to try 

Pavbhaji Pasta 

Kulcha Pizza 

Adai Pizza 

Talking of fusion,I must say Chinese Poha from Radha's blog is a burst of flavors and a true Indo Chinese fusion that will hit the right notes in our tastes buds .

Preparation Time -  15 mins
Cooking Time - 30 to 40 mins
Serves - 3 to 4
Complexity - simple

Ingredients 

1/4 cup uncooked pasta 
2 cups boiled milk 
1/2 cup sugar ( adjust depending on need)
1 cup mango puree .
1 tbsp ghee /clarified butter 
Pinch of cardamom powder 
Few strands of saffron
Assorted dry fruits- roasted and powdered 

Method 

** While making the mango puree ensure the mangoes are sweet and not tart(sour) .Tart mango will curdle the kheer . Add a little sugar while pureeing if the mango is not very sweet.

• Boil the pasta in sufficient water with a tsp of ghee until the pasta is al dente, donot over cook. Strain the excess water using a colander and run it under cold water to stop the cooking process.
• In a thick pan ,heat 2 tsp of ghee and lightly saute the cooked pasta till you get a nice aroma . Add in the milk and continue until the milk begins to reduce and turn thick .keep stirring and cook on low flame as we don't want the milk to stick to the bottom and burn.
• As the milk begins to reduce add the sugar , cardamom powder, dry fruits powder, saffron strands and continue cooking further.  The kheer will again appear to become to liquidy as the sugar melts . Donot worry ,cooking for another 5 to 7 mins,the milk will thicken and the will get a nice cream color due to reduction. 
• Turn off the stove and let the kheer cool completely before adding the mango puree else the kheer will curdle .
• Add the mango puree and mix with the cooled down kheer . Mix it gently so as to not break the pasta in the kheer . Serve chilled or in room temperature.  

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Cheesy Pasta | Cheesy Penne Pasta

 Cheesy Pasta is a very easy and quick recipe and can be put together without much effort . It can be a very good after school snack for the kids or also a part of starter in any children's parties. 

Why only kids,even with elders the cheesy pasta is always a big hit and no one can ever say No to a second serving .  Load it with as much cheese as you want and relish the gooey and creamy pasta ! This cheesy pasta is certainly not for the weight watchers or the health freaks . 

I have used Penne pasta for this recipe but you can use macaroni,  spiral , fuesli or any pasta of your choice.  The most important part in getting the pasta right is to cook the pasta properly until it is al dente which means just soft enough to bite into at the same time hold shape and not turn mushy or disintegrate.  

If you have any doubt in cooking the pasta ,follow the instructions on the back of the pasta packet to get it right.  

I always run the cooked pasta under cold tap water in a colander, this helps remove extra starch and also stops the cooking process making it perfect to add on to the sauce.  This cooked pasta can be cooled and then refrigerated for later use as well.

If you like some spicy variant of Pasta , then do try the Pav Bhaji Pasta and Classic Pasta in Red Sauce on my blog.

Linking this recipe to our weekly food theme event Foodie Monday Bloghop.  Priya Iyer is the hostess for the 303rd week and our theme is Pasta Delicacies.  Stay tuned for some yummy Pasta recipes from my blogger friends.  If you love pesto ,check out Priya's easy peasy recipe of Basil peanut pesto. 

Preparation Time - 20 mins
Cooking Time -  15 mins
Serves - 2 to 3
Complexity- medium

Ingredients 

2 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp all purpose flour /maida

1/4 cup processed cheese grated

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese grated 

2 cups milk 

1 tsp red chilli flakes 

1 tsp mixed herbs 

2 cups of boiled pasta 

Method

• In a pan heat the butter and roast the flour until you get a nice aroma. 
• Slowly pour the milk and whisk it well to keep it lump free and cook it for 3 to 4 mins.
• Now add in the processed cheese and mozzarella cheese with the chilli flakes and mixed herbs  and mix it well until the cheese melts.
• Now add the cooked penne and toss it well till the sauce combines well with the pasta .
• Transfer to a serving bowl and serve it hot.

Serving suggestions 

• You can add some boiled corn or vegetables to the pasta along with the white sauce .
• You may also add some grated cheese on top of the pasta and microwave it for 2 mins to get a more gooey and creamy pasta .

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Pav Bhaji Pasta

Pasta is an absolute favorite for kids as well as adults . Though I make the traditional red sauce or white sauce based pasta , today I wanted to try some variation and used pav bhaji masala instead of the usual italian herbs and spices. 

Even when I started making , I never expected it would turn out to be lipsmacking ; juicy and tasty. 

This will definitely be a super hit in Children's parties or even with those who avoid pasta due to the Italian seasonings .

Cheese is optional , you may or may not add it while serving .

I had a spoonful with cheese and without cheese and both tasted equally delicious .

Any shape pasta can be used , I used elbow pasta but penne, twisted or even spaghetti will taste good .

Preparation time - 20 mins

Cooking time - 15 mins

Serves - 2 to 3

Complexity- medium 

Ingredients 

2 cups pasta 

1 medium bell pepper chopped (any color- I used red)

Handful of green peas 

Handful of frozen corn 

1 medium onion chopped (optional)

2 medium tomatoes 

2 tsp pav bhaji masala 

1/2 tsp red chilli powder 

1 green chilie finely chopped 

2 tablespoon butter 

Salt as needed 

Fresh corriander chopped

Method 

• Cook the pasta aldente according to the instructions on the pack .
• Drain the water through a colander and run it under cold water and set aside .
• Boil the corn and peas and keep ready.
• Puree the tomatoes in a blender. 
• In a pan , melt the butter , fry the green chillies and know flame fry the pavbhaji masala and red chilli powder taking care  not to burn .
• If using,Saute the onions in the masala until soft  followed by the bell pepper.  
• Now , add the tomato puree , peas ,corn , some salt and let it cook well till the raw flavor of the tomato is lost .
• Adjust water if needed . After adding the puree cook until it reaches a sauce like consistency. 
• Add the cooked pasta , toss it carefully so that the pasta doesn't break and turn mushy. The sauce must coat the pasta well.
• Lastly garnish with fresh corriander and grated cheese and serve hot.

Pasta in Red Sauce - No Onion No Garlic

I am not a great fan of pasta but V loves pasta to the core especially when it is loaded with a lot of cheese and flavored with chilli flakes and oregano .
Pasta would always be on his menu when we dined out as I wouldn't make it at home since I was skeptical about the outcome and flavors

Now with the ongoing lockdown , all restaurant outings and dinners have taken a back seat and I thought this was the time to overcome my inhibition and try to satisfy V's craving of a cheesy pasta and I was  very happy with the texture and taste of the pasta and so was V , except for his comment was "some more cheese would have made it top class" ....hahaha that is because the health freak inside me uses cheese sparingly..

So for all the first timers who are skeptical about trying, go ahead and give it a try, it is easy and yummy .

Preparation Time : 20 mins
Cooking Time : 40 mins
Serves : 1
Complexity: Medium

Ingredients
1 cup pasta
3 medium sized tomatoes
1/2 capsicum
2 small green chillies finely chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 olive oil
Basil/parsley/cilantro for garnish
Cheese as needed
Salt
Pinch of sugar

Method

• Boil the pasta al dente (until soft) as per the instructions on the back of the pack . I have used penne pasta here, you could use elbow,fusseli,twisted pasta anything that you like .
• Drain the water through a colander and run cold water over the pasta and let it cool down.
• Grind two tomatoes into a fine puree and keep aside . Chop the other tomato and capsicum into small pieces .
• In a pan , heat the olive oil and saute the green chillies,tomatoes, capsicum .Add some salt and let it cook until the tomatoes get mushy. 
• Add in the puree , oregano and chilli flakes and mix it well along with some sugar .adjust the spice level as per your taste .
• Let the mixture boil and reach a saucy consistency and the raw flavor of the tomato must not be there .
• Switch off the sauce when the desired consistency is reached .
• Arrange the cooked pasta in a bowl, pour this sauce over it , generously grate some cheese and garnish with basil /parsley or thyme .
• I had to use cilantro (kothmir) as basil was unavailable due to the lockdown .
• Serve it hot with some warm toasted bread and enjoy your dinner . 

Notes

If you like garlic ,then saute some finely chopped garlic in olive oil along with the chillies and tomatoes.

Italian seasoning of mixed herbs can also be used instead of just chilli and oregano flakes .
If olive oil isn't available handy you can make use of unsalted butter or any cooking oil like rice bran or sunflower oil .

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Corn Capsicum Lasagna

I am sure,each one of us have a special liking towards cooking pasta-- the comfort dish. Its a quick meal and also sumptuous.Compared to the normal pastas,I somehow have developed a liking towards LASAGNA. Earlier I was very skeptical about even trying to taste this Cheesy Layered Dish smeared with tomato sauce until my hubby forced me to try and thanks to him.. I now LOVE this dish.
The recipe below is my version of making vegetarian lasagna.You can adjust the filling as per your taste. Vegetables like cauliflower,broccoli,mushrooms can also be added . For the non veg lovers,chicken,fish,eggs can be used as per their taste.

Preparation Time :  20 -30 mins
Cooking Time : 30 mins
Baking Time : 15 mins