Prateek Sadhu: Of desi cheese & birthday meals

You don’t need to look at Western cheeses anymore to make your cheese platter thanks to the plethora of Indian variants. Our expert shares his pick, while giving his version of an Indian meal fit for a king

Say cheese

Our expert on desi cheese and celebratory meals

What Indian cheeses should I try out for a wine and cheeseboard night?

—Arpita, Via Instagram

Rather than looking to the West, there are a lot more Indian cheeses today to choose from. My personal favourites are Kalari cheese from Jammu and Kashmir, Yak cheese from the region of Ladakh, Bandel cheese from West Bengal and Topli paneer from the Parsi community. These would go perfectly with crackers or a home-made jam and fruit on the side.

A royal B’day feast

How can I prepare a fancy meal for Indian food-loving father on his birthday?

—Shubhra K, Via Email

I would do a big Kashmiri feast for my dad. If yours loves mutton, make a Kashmiri rogan josh, a yakhni and saffron pulao because all the ingredients are exotic, expensive and not so easily available, so it’s a real treat. I would end the meal with a saffron phirni for dessert and Kahwa.

Prateek’s signature restaurant, Masque, is changing India’s culinary landscape and was awarded the One To Watch Award by Asia’s 50 Best in 2020

From HT Brunch, August 15, 2021

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