National Cheese Lover’s Day: Mumbai chefs share cheese recipes for you to ace at home

From Mexican to French favourites, Mumbai chefs share four easy-to-follow recipes for cheese lovers National Cheese Lover's Day is observed on January 20 every year. Don't worry, you don't need to be a cheese connoisseur, or know how to perfectly pair your food or wine with worldly offerings, it is a day dedicated to celebrating the love of different kinds of cheese. Whether you are fond of delicate mozzarella, or bold cheddar, the idea is to indulge. Mumbai chefs have shared four cheesy dishes across a variety of mouth-watering cuisines for you to whip up in no time.

Quiche x Cheesecake

"The idea was to create a dish inspired by a breakfast quiche. It was my staple breakfast when I was studying at Le Cordon Bleu, at our in-house cafeteria. It's a smooth, velvety, rich cheesecake with mild herbs and spices accompanied by bell pepper jam and a fresh salad on the side," shares Dhriti Mankame, head chef at KMC'.

Ingredients
Pie crust
Flour 250 gm
Salt 3 gm
Unsalted butter 205 gm
Water 55 ml
Cheesecake batter
Cream Cheese 400 gm
Sour cream 105 gm
Parmesan 30 gm
Eggs 2 no
Salt 2 gm
Garlic powder 4 gm
Cayenne Pepper 5 gm
Cumin powder​5 gm
Chives 10 gm

Method
1. Rub flour, salt and chilled butter cubes together till it becomes crumbly.
2. Add water and mix it till it forms a dough.
3. Cover it tightly with a cling film and leave it in the refrigerator.
4. Roll out the dough keeping it 0.25 cm thick.
5. Blind bake it in the mold at 200 degrees for 15 minutes.
6. Bring the cream cheese to a room temperature.
7. Whisk it till soft, mix it with sour cream, cheddar, eggs, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin powder and chives till it forms a batter consistency.
8. Pour the batter in the pie crust and then bake it at 160 degrees for 25 minutes. Make sure it should be firm from outside but still a little wobbly from inside.
9. Cool it down a little and leave it in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
10. Cut slices out of it and serve with a drizzle of bell pepper marmalade.

Four Cheese Pizza

"The four cheese pizza is a classic around the globe. It has the perfect balance of all four cheeses and gives out a unique flavour which is only possible when you bake all the four cheese together," says Sushil Multani, culinary director of Acapella Hospitality.

​​Ingredients
Tipo 00 grade Farina 170 gm
Water 100 ml
Salt 5 gm
Olive oil 4 ml
Yeast 1/3 gm
Raw tomato puree 100 gm
Basil
Cheese for topping
Burrata 30 gm
Parmesan 15 gm
Danish Blue 10 gm
Mozzarella 40 gm

Method
1. Sieve flour and combine all dry ingredients.
2. Mix yeast with water and add to the dough.
3. Prepare dough by kneading till the gluten is formed well.
4. Rest it for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
5. Next day, shape the dough till it flattens out.
6. Smear a Raw tomato purée.
7. Add the above mentioned cheese and spread evenly.
8. Bake at 375 degrees Celsius for 4 minutes.
9. Garnish with basil and serve.

Cheese Chipotle Paneer Quesadilla

"The dish is our version of well-cooked and stuffed Mexican appetiser. Mexican Chipotle in adobo with charcoal paneer, pico de gallo, and mixed cheese offers a balanced taste," shares Chef Vinod Dontul, Balmy.

Ingredients
10-inch Flour tortillas
Cheddar cheese (shredded) 1 cup
Italian cheese blend 1/2 cup
Salted butter 1 tbsp
Guacamole
Avocados 2 small
Tomatoes (diced) ¼ cup
Lime juice ¼ cup
Fresh cilantro ¼ cup
Pickled jalapeno 4-5 slices
Garlic cloves (minced) 2 no
Salt ½ tsp
Quesadilla stuffing
Marinated paneer (diced) 90 grams
Chipotles in adobo sauce 2 tbsp
Small yellow onion (thinly sliced) 1 no
Garlic cloves (minced) 3 no
Oregano 1 tsp
Cumin 1 tsp
Paprika 1 tsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Salt ½ tsp
Pepper powder ½ tsp
Tomatoes (diced) 15 gm
Blanched corn 15 gm
Red and yellow peppers (diced) 15 gm
Cilantro (chopped) 1 tsp

Method
1. Mix all the ingredients of guacamole in a mixing bowl, and prepare a chunky consistency and keep refrigerated.
2. Heat a large fry pan over medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Once heated, lay one tortilla in the pan and place all the ingredients on the tortilla in a half moon style on one side of the tortilla. Sprinkle the cheese and cover it in half moon using a spatula.
3. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until golden, then carefully flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until golden and the cheese starts to melt.
4. Serve warm with guacamole and your favorite garnishes.

Cheese Fondue

"Nothing seems more satisfying than dipping pieces of bread into a pot full of melty, cheesy goodness. Our signature fondue dish is a result of the combined goodness of grated Gruyere and Emmental cheeses, which are cooked over a gentle flame, leaving you wanting for more. It is best relished with sauteed veggies, croutons, fries, or potato wedges," says Chef Nester, Donna Deli.

Ingredients
Gruyere cheese 600 gm
Emmental 200 gm
Milk 100 ml
Salt and pepper
White wine 15 ml
Cornstarch
Lemon juice

Method
1. Combine the grated Gruyère and Emmentaler with the wine, cornstarch and lemon juice in the fondue pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses begin to melt, about 5 minutes.

2. Reduce heat to low. Add generous pinches of pepper and salt and cook. Make sure to stir gently until creamy and smooth for about 3 minutes. Remember, do not overcook the fondue or it will get stringy.

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