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 easytofollow recipes for cheese lovers National Cheese Loverrsquos Day is observed on January 20 every year Donrsquot worry you donrsquot 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 mouthwatering cuisines for you to whip up in no timeQuiche x CheesecakeldquoThe 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 inhouse cafeteria Its a smooth velvety rich cheesecake with mild herbs and spices accompanied by bell pepper jam and a fresh salad on the siderdquo shares Dhriti Mankame head chef at KMCIngredientsPie crustFlour 250 gmSalt 3 gmUnsalted butter 205 gmWater 55 mlCheesecake batterCream Cheese 400 gmSour cream 105 gmParmesan 30 gmEggs 2 noSalt 2 gmGarlic powder 4 gmCayenne Pepper 5 gmCumin powder5 gmChives 10 gmMethod1 Rub flour salt and chilled butter cubes together till it becomes crumbly2 Add water and mix it till it forms a dough3 Cover it tightly with a cling film and leave it in the refrigerator4 Roll out the dough keeping it 025 cm thick5 Blind bake it in the mold at 200 degrees for 15 minutes6 Bring the cream cheese to a room temperature7 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 consistency8 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 inside9 Cool it down a little and leave it in the fridge for 2 hours to set10 Cut slices out of it and serve with a drizzle of bell pepper marmaladeFour Cheese PizzaldquoThe 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 togetherrdquo says Sushil Multani culinary director of Acapella HospitalityIngredientsTipo 00 grade Farina 170 gmWater 100 mlSalt 5 gmOlive oil 4 mlYeast 13 gmRaw tomato puree 100 gmBasilCheese for toppingBurrata 30 gmParmesan 15 gmDanish Blue 10 gmMozzarella 40 gmMethod1 Sieve flour and combine all dry ingredients2 Mix yeast with water and add to the dough3 Prepare dough by kneading till the gluten is formed well4 Rest it for 24 hours in the refrigerator5 Next day shape the dough till it flattens out6 Smear a Raw tomato pureacutee7 Add the above mentioned cheese and spread evenly8 Bake at 375 degrees Celsius for 4 minutes9 Garnish with basil and serveCheese Chipotle Paneer QuesadillaldquoThe dish is our version of wellcooked and stuffed Mexican appetiser Mexican Chipotle in adobo with charcoal paneer pico de gallo and mixed cheese offers a balanced tasterdquo shares Chef Vinod Dontul BalmyIngredients10inch Flour tortillasCheddar cheese shredded 1 cupItalian cheese blend 12 cupSalted butter 1 tbspGuacamoleAvocados 2 smallTomatoes diced frac14 cupLime juice frac14 cupFresh cilantro frac14 cupPickled jalapeno 45 slicesGarlic cloves minced 2 noSalt frac12 tspQuesadilla stuffingMarinated paneer diced 90 gramsChipotles in adobo sauce 2 tbspSmall yellow onion thinly sliced 1 noGarlic cloves minced 3 noOregano 1 tspCumin 1 tspPaprika 1 tspSugar 1 tspSalt frac12 tspPepper powder frac12 tspTomatoes diced 15 gmBlanched corn 15 gmRed and yellow peppers diced 15 gmCilantro chopped 1 tspMethod1 Mix all the ingredients of guacamole in a mixing bowl and prepare a chunky consistency and keep refrigerated2 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 spatula3 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 melt4 Serve warm with guacamole and your favorite garnishesCheese Fondue ldquoNothing 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 DeliIngredientsGruyere cheese 600 gmEmmental 200 gmMilk 100 mlSalt and pepperWhite wine 15 mlCornstarchLemon juiceMethod1 Combine the grated Gruyegravere 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 minutes2 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 stringyRead More Veganuary Tempeh is the plantbased protein you might be missing out on