Get over Paneer And Try Out These Unique Cheese Recipes

We love our cheese. Maybe not as much as the Europeans but we do love Matar Paneer, Kadhai Paneer, Shaahi Paneer, Paneer Lababdar and then the cheesy pizzas, pastas and fries. But if you love cheese then why restrict yourself to just paneer, mozzarella, khoya and processed cheese spreads when you can make something with other mouth-watering varieties? India has its own variety of exotic cheese such as Bandel, Chhurpi, Kalari, Qudam and Topli Na Paneer but these are hard to find. But there are western varieties that you can easily find in supermarkets to give a twist to Indian recipes and keep everyone guessing about its cheesy contents! So what are you waiting for? Celebrate your love for cheese by making these amazing Indo-western cheese dishes.

Ricotta Cheese Peda

Image Courtesy: www.recipeblog.io

Bored of making peda with khoya? Then try this. Ricotta is an Italian cheese made from the whey that’s left over while making other types of cheese. It is the perfect substitute for paneer or chhena. 

Ingredients

• Ghee - 1 tbsp 
• Ricotta cheese - 1 cup
• Condensed milk – ¼ cup
• Milk powder – ¾ cup
• Sugar – ¼ cup
• Cardamom – 2 pods, crushed

Preparation

• Take a wide pan and melt the ghee in it. Cover the entire pan with this.
• Add the ricotta cheese, condensed milk, milk powder and sugar to the pan  and start mixing.
• Let this thicken till it looks like you can make soft pedas with it. Add the crushed cardamoms.
• Let it cool down a bit and start making the pedas. Garnish with your favourite nuts and serve.

Gajar Halwa Cream Cheese Shots

Image Courtesy: www.kitchenspells.blogspot.com

Cream Cheese is a soft cheese that has a mild taste. Gajar ka halwa, as we all know, is the favourite winter time dessert.  Why not fuse the two together to create something that looks and tastes uh-mazing?

Ingredients

• Gajar halwa - 1 cup
• Crushed biscuits – 1 cup
• Cream cheese - 1 cup
• Thick cream - 1/3 cup
• Melted butter - 3 tbsp
• Powdered sugar -1/4 cup
• Rose essence - 1 tsp
• Salt - A pinch

Preparation

• Combine the crushed biscuits with butter. Put the mix in shot glasses, pack it tightly at the bottom with a spoon and refrigerate this for 30 mins-1 hr.
• Whisk the thick cream, mix the cream cheese and add the sugar, salt and essence.
• Put this as your 2nd layer. You can also add a bit of gajar halwa to this mix.
• For the 3rd layer of the gajar halwa cheesecake shot, top the glass with a dose of gajar halwa and keep this in the fridge for 2 hours. Serve chilled.

Feta Cheese Pakora

Image Courtesy: www.dairygoodness.ca

The Greek Feta cheese is a brined curd cheese made from sheep’s milk and sometimes with an addition of goat’s milk. It is a good table cheese, nice for salads and can also be cooked. If you want to make something more special than a simple paneer pakora then choose this tangy cheese.

Ingredients

• Besan - ½ cup
• Yoghurt – ¼ cup
• Feta cheese – 100 gm, sliced into rectangles
• Red Chilli flakes – ½ tsp
• Garam masala - 1 tbsp
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Water - ¼ cup
• Oil - ¼ cup

Preparation

• Mix together the besan with the yoghurt, water, red chilli flakes, garam masala, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Heat oil in a kadhai and put it on medium-high flame.
• Dip each cheese slice in batter and cook both sides till golden brown
• Serve hot with chutney. (Check out master chef Pankaj Bhadouriya's imli chutney recipe here!)

Read More: Moong Dal Toast Is An Anytime Healthy And Delicious Snack, Here Is An Easy Recipe

Gouda Cheese Khichdi

Image Courtesy: www.cookingshooking.com

The Dutch Gouda Cheese is mild, nutty and buttery with a somewhat caramelly taste. You can use this cheese to give a smooth twist to your regular khichdi too!

Ingredients

• Rice – 2 cups
• Red lentils – 1 cup
• Onions- 2, finely chopped
• Garlic – 2-3 cloves, finely chopped
• Tomato puree – 3 to 4 tbsp
• Carrot – 1, finely diced
• Green peas – 1 cup
• Chilli powder – 1 tbsp
• Zeera powder – 1 tsp
• Black pepper – 1 tsp
• Salt – as per taste
• Gouda cheese – 1/2 cup, freshly grated

Preparation

• Make the khichdi in the traditional way as you normally do but ensure that it is only 50-75% cooked before you prep it for baking.
• Grease the dish to be used for the baking, place the semi-cooked khichdi in it. Now, pour the grated cheese over this.
• Bake this for half an hour or till it’s fully cooked.

If you still want to try out restaurant-like cottage cheese recipes then go for this paneer tikka masala recipe or make this easy paneer dish when you are pressed for time. For more quick, exotic and unique recipes, keep reading HerZindagi.