Who says you can't put coconut in pasta?
Ingredients
"All the hearty naughtiness of a classic mac ’n’ cheese but with the moreish, spicy flavours of a coconut sambal," says chef Brin Pirathapan. "The sambal is folded through the pasta, as well as topping it with a spicy crust. Sambal was always a staple in our household, as it’s a great accompaniment for most Tamil Sri Lankan dishes, but especially string hoppers and egg hoppers.
"Growing up, I’d begun stirring it through all sorts of dishes and realised it elevated anything you put it in, be it a sandwich or a bowl of noodles, and that’s what gave me the idea for this number."
Sambal mac ‘n’ cheese
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: 2/3
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
100g desiccated coconut
1tbsp boiling water
3tsp medium chilli powder
3tsp sea salt
1 red onion, finely diced
20g fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes
250g dried macaroni
60g butter
60g plain flour
600ml whole milk
150g Cheddar cheese, grated, plus a little extra for the top
25g Parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus a little extra for the top
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C gas mark 6. Add the desiccated coconut to a bowl with the boiling water. Mix well, cover and leave for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, add the chilli powder and salt to a pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder.
3. Add the red onion and coriander to the desiccated coconut, along with the chilli salt powder and the lime juice. Mix well and set aside.
4. Cook the macaroni in a pan of boiling water until al dente, then drain and set aside.
5. Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter. Let it melt and then turn to a very slightly brown colour – this will bring out a nutty flavour. Once the butter is ready, turn down the heat to low, stir in the flour and mix well – you're looking for a wet sand-like consistency.
6. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, and cook until the sauce is thickened and smooth, then simmer for a couple of minutes. Now go in with both cheeses and stir over a low heat until they have melted. Add about two-thirds of the coconut sambal mixture to the cheese sauce, along with the cooked macaroni. Stir everything together until it’s all evenly mixed in.
7. Pour everything into an ovenproof dish and top with the remaining coconut sambal mixture and an extra grating of Cheddar and Parmesan. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling, then rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Elevate: Everyday Ingredients, Incredible Flavours by Brin Pirathapan is published in hardback by Pavilion. Photography by Dan Jones. Available now.
