Cyrus Todiwala’s Indian veggies

Grandma Todiwala’s macaroni & cauliflower cheese

This was Mum’s all-time favourite dinner for us when we were kids. It goes back to when the first pasta was introduced to the British public and promptly found its way to India and into the clubs and gymkhanas of the Raj. Like most Indians, I grew up eating overcooked pasta. It was not until my European training back in 1980 that I realised we had been cooking it all wrong – but in those days, if you cooked pasta al dente it was sent back to you. Mum’s macaroni was cooked until it split, but hey, the fun was in the sauce and her awesome magic with taste.

• Serves 4-5

300g cauliflower florets (reserve the stems and trimmings)
300g macaroni
2 tbsp butter, plus extra for the dish
1/2 tsp cumin