Simple Indian Style Spaghetti (Quick And Nutritious)

Last weekend, I cooked up Indian Style Spaghetti when I had a few of my friends coming over to my place.

I needed to make something that was quick and delicious. Moreover, my friends are pretty health conscious people too, so I made sure I was cooking something nutritious for them right from my kitchen and not ordering in.

This vegetarian spaghetti recipe, Indian style combines the classic Italian spaghetti dish with the flavors of Indian cuisine using Indian spices. Nutritious recipe and equally loved by both kids and adults.

My friends loved it and took more than 1 round of serving. Alongside, I had also prepared homemade mushroom soup and cheesy garlic bread which was just the perfect combination.

In fact, this delicious fusion Indian Style Spaghetti recipe is actually perfect for both when guests are coming over as well as quick weekday night dinners or even lunch boxes.

How To Make Indian Style Spaghetti

This Indian vegetarian spaghetti recipe is really quick, simple and easy to make for all busy bees.

Preparing the Ingredients For Indian Style Spaghetti

  • 250 grams of spaghetti (I am using gluten-free, organic brown rice spaghetti)
  • 4 medium-sized red onions – chopped
  • 9 cloves of garlic – minced
  • 2 tomatoes – blended
  • 3 large carrots – cut into small bite sizes
  • 2 green capsicums – cut into small slices
  • Spices 
  1. 1 teaspoon black pepper
  2. 1 teaspoon oregano or Italian mixed herbs (you may add more, up to your liking)
  3. 1 tablespoon chili paste or chili powder (you may reduce the chili if you prefer less spicy)
  4. 2 tablespoon coriander powder
  5. 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  6. 3 tablespoon chicken curry powder
  7. 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
  • Mozzarella cheese

Step-by-Step Instructions For Indian Style Spaghetti

1. Boil water in a deep non-stick or stainless steel pot.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.

3. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water. Let it cook al dente

indian style spaghetti

4. Use a colander and drain the spaghetti well. Keep 1 cup of spaghetti water aside.

5. Let the spaghetti run under cold water. This step avoids the spaghetti from being overcooked and sticking to one another.

indian style spaghetti

6. Then, transfer the spaghetti into a bowl or plate and cover it with a lid to avoid the spaghetti from drying up.

Step-by-Step Instructions For The Indian Style Spaghetti Sauce

7. To start making the Indian style spaghetti, add olive oil to a different pot.

8. Next, add the chopped onions and minced garlic. Fry them together till golden brown.

9. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of black pepper and Italian herbs each.

indian style spaghetti

10. Blend the tomatoes with some water and add to the pot. Saute the mixture.

indian style spaghetti

11. Saute the ingredients on medium flame.

12. Time for the remaining spices! Add 1 tablespoon of chili powder or chili paste, 2 tablespoons of coriander powder, 3 tablespoons of chicken curry powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder and 1 teaspoon of chili flakes (optional).

indian style spaghetti

13. Saute the ingredients properly. Let it cook on low to medium flame. 

indian style spaghetti

14.  If the ingredients start to dry up, pour in some pasta water that was kept aside.

15. Then, add the chopped carrots and capsicums.

indian style spaghetti

16. Let the ingredients cook properly.

17.  As soon as the vegetables are cooked, add in the tomato puree/paste and mix everything together.

indian style spaghetti

18. Since the tomato paste was added, the sauce will eventually start to thicken and may even start bubbling. Just ensure you keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t bubble too much and create a mess on your stove! (unfortunately, this happened to me before!)

indian style spaghetti

19. Sprinkle more Italian herbs or oregano (optional) to enhance the flavor.

indian style spaghetti

20. Finally, add some mozzarella cheese to the cooked sauce and turn off the heat.

21. Serve your spaghetti in a pasta bowl and pour the sauce over it. You may sprinkle more mozzarella cheese if you have “cheezy” taste buds like me!

22. Your Indian style spaghetti is ready!

indian style spaghetti

Tips And Tricks To Make This Yummy Indian Style Spaghetti

  • Olive oil is added to the pot to avoid the spaghetti from sticking to each other when cooking.
  • Salt is added for the taste. Use sea salt or Himalayan pink salt as healthier options.
  • Do ensure spaghetti is cooked al dente at medium heat. Let it cook for approximately 3 mins less than what the packaging states. The reason is, you will be cooking the spaghetti later with the ingredients, therefore you don’t want it to be overcooked or soggy (speaking from experience).
  • Whilst spaghetti is cooking, stir gently to avoid spaghetti from breaking, using a flat spatula or spoon. Otherwise, you can also use kitchen tongs to stir the spaghetti.
  • To save time while making this Indian style spaghetti recipe, you can boil the spaghetti in one pot and make the sauce with the ingredients in a separate pot, simultaneously. Thereafter, you can mix them together as the final step.

 

Substitutes For Indian Style Spaghetti Recipe

Cooking Indian vegetarian spaghetti recipe can be quite versatile.

  • If you don’t have spaghetti, you can use the same recipe for other types of pasta such as fusilli, linguine and penne pasta.
  • Interestingly, the same recipe for the sauce can even be used to make lasagna! I have tried it myself and it tasted so delicious!
  • Those with gluten intolerance can definitely opt for gluten-free spaghetti like the one I used for this recipe.
  • Alternatively, you may opt for whole wheat pasta if you wish to get more protein and fiber while enjoying this fusion dish.
  • As much as homemade tomato paste is always more nutritious, you may also buy a ready-made bottle from the store.
  • Speaking about the variety of vegetables, you may also use sweet corn, eggplant, mushrooms, olive and broccoli.
  • In the event that you want to save some time, you can also buy readily chopped frozen vegetables from the grocery store. In general, the taste will not be compromised.

FAQs on Indian Style Spaghetti

What is the healthiest way to eat spaghetti?

The healthiest way to eat spaghetti is to first, choose organic, whole grain or moong bean type of spaghetti. By comparison, these are healthier options compared to the wheat base.

Secondly, cook the spaghetti with a variety of vegetables, for instance, carrots, broccoli, capsicum, eggplant, mushrooms, sweet corn, spinach and peas.

Why do chefs save pasta water?

Chefs save pasta water to help thicken the spaghetti sauce. Chefs would keep at least 1 cup of pasta water and drain the remaining.

Why should spaghetti be cooked in lots of boiling water?

Spaghetti should be cooked in lots of boiling water because it helps to cook the spaghetti faster and allows enough room in the pot for it not to stick to each other.

All in all, lots of boiling water helps to dilute the starch released from the spaghetti and avoid the sticky/gluey surface.

What happens if you boil spaghetti for too long?

If you boil spaghetti for too long would lead to soggy pasta.

Read the cooking time required on the packaging of the pasta. Always cook 2-3 minutes lesser if you are gonna mix the pasta with the sauce and cook it again as the final step.

Why do people put salt in their water when cooking spaghetti?

People put salt in their water when cooking spaghetti to bring out the flavor of the spaghetti dish.

The spaghetti absorbs the salt while cooking and enhances the taste. Hence it is better to add salt whilst spaghetti is cooking rather than adding salt at the end of the cooking.

indian style spaghetti

Simple Indian Style Spaghetti (Quick And Nutritious)

Delicious fusion Indian style spaghetti recipe that is perfect for your kid's party, lunchbox or quick dinner at home.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Italian
Servings 5 person

Equipment

  • 1 Non-stick or stainless steel pot
  • 1 Colander
  • 1 Flat Spatula or spoon or kitchen tongs (to stir the spaghetti while its cooking)
  • 1 solid turner / ladle (for the sauce)

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams spaghetti (I am using gluten-free, organic brown rice spaghetti)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (whilst cooking spaghetti)
  • 1 tsp sea salt or himalayn pink salt (whilst cooking spaghetti)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (whilst cooking sauce)
  • 4 medium sized Red onions (chopped finely)
  • 9 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 medium sized tomatoes (blended)
  • 3 large carrots (cut into small bite sizes)
  • 2 medium sized green capsicum / green pepper (cut into small slices)
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp Italian mixed herbs / Oregano
  • 1 tbsp chili paste/chili powder (you may reduce the chili if you prefer less spicy)
  • 2 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 3 tbsp chicken curry powder
  • 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)
  • 2 tbsp mozarella cheese

Instructions
 

Step-by-Step Instructions For The Spaghetti

  • Boil water in a deep non-stick or stainless steel pot.
  • Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.
  • Add the spaghetti to the boiling water. Let it cook al dente.
  • Use a colander nd drain the spaghetti well. Keep 1 cup of spaghetti water aside.
  • Let the spaghetti run under cold water. This step avoids the spaghetti from being overcooked and sticking to one another.
  • Then, transfer the spaghetti into a bowl or plate and cover it with a lid to avoid the spaghetti from drying up.

Step-by-Step Instructions For The Indian Style Spaghetti Sauce

  • To start making the Indian style spaghetti, add olive oil to a different pot (you may use the same pot after spaghetti is kept aside to drain the water)
  • Next, add the chopped onions and minced garlic. Fry them together till golden brown.
  • Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of black pepper and Italian herbs each.
  • Blend the tomatoes with some water and add to the pot. Saute the mixture.
  • Saute the ingredients on medium flame.
  • Time for the remaining spices! Add 1 tablespoon of chili powder or chili paste, 2 tablespoons of coriander powder, 3 tablespoons of chicken curry powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder and 1 teaspoon of chili flakes (optional).
  • Saute the ingredients properly. Let it cook on low to medium flame.
  • If the ingredients start to dry up, pour in some pasta water that was kept aside.
  • Then, add the chopped carrots and capsicums.
  • Let the ingredients cook properly.
  • As soon as the vegetables are cooked, add in the tomato puree/paste and mix everything together.
  • Since the tomato puree/paste was added, the sauce will eventually start to thicken and may even start bubbling. Just ensure you keep an eye on it so that it doesn't bubble too much and create a mess on your stove!
  • Sprinkle more Italian herbs or oregano (optional) to enhance the flavor.
  • Finally, add some mozzarella cheese to the cooked sauce and turn off the heat.
  • Serve your spaghetti in a pasta bowl and pour the sauce over it. You may sprinkle more mozzarella cheese if you have “cheezy” taste buds like me!
  • Your Indian style spaghetti is ready!

Notes

  • Olive oil is added to the pot to avoid the spaghetti from sticking to each other when cooking.
 
  • Salt is added for the taste. 
 
  • Do ensure spaghetti is cooked al dente at medium heat. Let it cook for approximately 3 mins less than what the packaging states. 
 
  • Whilst spaghetti is cooking, stir gently to avoid spaghetti from breaking, using a flat spatula or spoon. Otherwise, you can also use kitchen tongs to stir the spaghetti.
 
  • To save time while making this Indian style spaghetti recipe, you can boil the spaghetti in one pot and make the sauce with the ingredients in a separate pot, simultaneously. Thereafter, you can mix them together as the final step.