A no-bake katsu curry meets mac and cheese recipe that’s ready in under an hour and perfect for autumn
Creamy, salty Cheddar and aged hard cheeses such as Parmesan are a surprising match for curry spices, helping balance the heat while letting the flavours shine.
We used Japanese curry blocks for speed while the panko topping is reminiscent of the katsu curries you know and love.
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Yields:
6
Prep Time:
25 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Ingredients
250 g macaroni
4 Tbsp. butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped, whites and greens separated
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. plain flour
250 ml whole milk
140 g cream cheese
2 Japanese curry squares (we used S&B Golden Curry Block in Medium/Hot)
125 g mature Cheddar, grated
70 g panko breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
10 g Parmesan, finely grated
Directions
Step 1Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a little of the pasta water, and set aside, keeping the pasta in the pan.
Step 2Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, spring onion whites and carrot and sauté for 5-6min, until softened. Stir in the flour, cooking for 1min. Reduce the heat and gradually add the milk, stirring to combine, then stir in the cream cheese until melted. Add the curry squares and stir again until melted. Stir in the Cheddar until smooth then remove from the heat, seasoning to taste – go easy here as the cheese is already salty.
Step 3Melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan. Stir in the panko and sesame seeds and cook for 1min. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly, then stir in the Parmesan with some freshly ground black pepper.
Step 4Preheat your grill to high. Pour the cheesy curry sauce into the pasta, stirring to combine. If you like your mac and cheese to be a little creamier and looser, add a splash or two of the reserved pasta water. Pour into a baking dish roughly measuring 20 x 25cm. Scatter over the breadcrumb topping, then place under the grill for 2-3min – keep an eye on it, as it can go dark fast. Leave to sit for 5min before scattering over the spring onion greens to serve.
GH TIP
Any short-textured pasta with a hole will work here. Why not try cavatappi or lumache?
Nadine is the Kitchen Editor, creating delicious, exciting recipes for GH. Her background is eclectic – time spent as a teen mag website editor interviewing the likes of Lady Gaga before becoming a standby contestant for GBBO - and it shows in her style cooking. Full of flavour, interesting stories and fun!
