Indian Dairy Traditions & Our History With Cheese, Mumbai
While India has rich dairy traditions, there’s little we know of it beyond staples like ghee, dahi, and paneer. Beyond these obvious foods, how many dairy traditions can any of us name? The Indian Dairy Traditions & Our History event targeted this very gap in our knowledge and culinary experience of Indian dairy cultures. We wanted to encourage people to explore little-known Indian cheeses and their stories from different communities and regions—and we couldn’t think of anyone better than cheesemaker Aditya Raghavan to do this. Through the evening, Chef Addie brought our attention to some fantastic cheeses from all over India, from Bandel and Pahalgam, all the way to the hills of Sikkim. As the evening unfolded, we were struck by the rich dairy culture in India, and how little of it is given due attention.
After an introduction to The Locavore by Chef TZac, Chef Addie regaled the gathering with stories from his extensive travels and experiences with dairy—a testament to fresh, fermented, and coagulated cheeses.
Cheesemaker extraordinaire Chef Addie traced the history of Indian dairy. Photo by ChefTZac.
The tasting menu was put together by Chef Addie, along with chefs Shannon Lawrence, Komal Mishra, Karishma Sanghi, Kartik Pendse, and Akshay Purohit.
As we heard from Chef Addie, attendees and team members realised that our notion of dairy cultures and those that champion it is so limited to mainstream and generalising narratives. “When we hear ‘Indian cheese’, we think only of paneer. But if we dig a little deeper—into the historical influences of migration and colonisation, as well as the dairy traditions particular to indigenous communities in India—we realise we have a long and rich association with fermented and preserved milk products,” shared Chef Addie.
On the menu for the evening was a range of delicious dairy-based dishes—creamy topli paneer, crispy Kashmiri kalari-rawa fry, Kalimpong cheese stuffed chillies—which highlighted how cheeses from different regions carry their own subtle yet distinct flavour, and can be cooked to accompany other regional ingredients. Who could forget Chef Addie’s demonstration of how to make fresh dahi paneer! The paneer’s soft texture and incredible flavour was a delight to the senses.
(Left) Two variations of the salty, crumbly Bandel Cheese from West Bengal—plain and smoked. (Right) Fresh Topli nu Paneer. Photos by Team Locavore.
(Left) Topli nu paneer with green garlic chimichurri, melon and pumpkin seeds. (Right) Kori roti with Bengal plastic papaya chutney and fluffy bandel cheese. Photos by ChefTZac.
One of the attendees, Lamiya Amiruddin, shared that the session was a huge learning experience. She said, “While I have previously eaten paneer and topli paneer, it was completely eye-opening for me to realise that there exist cheeses like the bandel from West Bengal and the kalari from Kashmir, which I have never eaten before. Unfortunately, a lot of these cheeses beyond paneer aren’t easily accessible, but I’m definitely curious to try them again.”
Made with Stranger & Sons gin, spiced masala chai, citrus, and clarified milk, ‘The Prism’ was a true ode to dairy in India. Photos by Zainab Kapadia.
The event took place in IFBE, a stunning transdisciplinary and cultural centre. Photo courtesy of IFBE team.
Former head of strategy and operations, Takshama Pandit, with one of the Menu's dishes: khichdi with spicy chhurpi chutney and fresh toor kachumber. Photo by ChefTZac.
And what’s a celebration without a few cocktails? The folks at Stranger and Sons poured some fabulous gin cocktails through the evening, including a special dairy-inspired cocktail called The Prism, made with spiced masala chai, citrus, and clarified milk!
Overall, it was an evening bursting with food and flavour, with a side of fascinating culinary history.
At The Locavore, we love planning and executing events that highlight India’s diverse local foods, celebrating community, sustainability, and cultural heritage. Our events feature engaging workshops, discussions, immersive experiences and other formats that connect you to India’s rich food culture. Interested in collaborating or having us organise an event? Reach out at connect@thelocavore.in.
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