Creamy Coconut Macaroni with Kale

It's been a while since I've posted a regular recipe on here. I'll be back with more food videos for the blog and YouTube soon, but this week I found myself rustling up this delicious macaroni dish and I had to share.

I'm wary of calling this vegan mac and cheese, even though ingredients such as coconut milk and nutritional yeast - as appear in this dish - are often used as dairy substitutes in free-from mac and cheese recipes. This dish lacks that thick, gloopy, cheesy consistency of traditional macaroni cheese but is no less comforting. The combination of the fragrant coconut milk with the starch from the macaroni creates some sort of food science magic. The simple spices take it over the edge to make this the most irresistible macaroni dish I've made to date. The kale not only provides some colour and freshness, but a much-needed boost of vitamins, fibre and protein. I threw it in right at the end of the cooking time in order to retain some crunch and vibrancy.

I hope you give this recipe a go. Chances are you'll already have most of the ingredients at home, so you might as well! And if you do try it, share the pic on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and tag me @vegannigerian :)

Ingredients
(serves 2)
- 2 cups macaroni
- 2 cups water
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp crushed chilli flakes
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2-3 cups kale (roughly chopped)
- 1 cup vegan mince or chopped mushrooms
- 1 tbsp coconut oil

In a large saucepan, add the macaroni, water and coconut milk. Bring to a boil.

Add the curry powder, garlic powder, chilli flakes and mixed herbs. Season with salt, to taste. Cook on medium heat for about 6 minutes until the macaroni is nearly tender and half of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the nutritional yeast.

Add the kale on top of the macaroni, cover the saucepan and allow to steam on low heat for 2 minutes.

In the meantime, add the coconut oil to a small frying pan and lightly sauté the vegan mince or chopped mushrooms until browned and slightly caramelised. Add to the macaroni.

Serve hot with more crushed chillis over the top. Great with a side salad or fried plantain.

If you like this, you'll also like:
- Creamy Avocado Pasta
- Spaghetti and Red Lentil Bolognese