Bandel Cheese Salad By Diganta Chakraborty
Diganta Chakraborty is an alumnus of IHM Mumbai or Dadar Catering College, home to the culinary maestros of India and Michelin star chefs. He received the Western Indian Culinary Association Student Chef of the year 2016 and Nestle Young Chef 2017 for his acclaimed love for native Bengali food and glorifying its value. He loves revisiting old recipes from his family and his community and encourages the use of indigenous products in cooking.
Ingredients –
- Bandel Cheese
- Salad Leaves (arugula and lettuce)
- Yellow Squash
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Basil Leaves
- Worcestershire sauce
- Mustard paste
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cider vinegar
- Olive oil
- Bread Crumbs
- Butter
- Lime zest
Method –
1) Place the salad leaves in chilled water for crisp texture. Slice yellow squash and cut cherry tomatoes in half.
2) Prepare cherry vinaigrette by blending pitted cherries, Basil leaves, Worcestershire sauce, mustard paste, salt, pepper, cider vinegar and olive oil in a mixer blender till smooth consistency. Chill in the refrigerator immediately.
3) Slice Bandel Cheese in between horizontally and coat with bread crumbs. Heat butter in a pan and sear them on both the sides till golden brown in colour. No need of seasoning since Bandel Cheese is itself salty. Once seared, drain and keep aside
4) Heat the same butter in the pan till it turn brown in colour and turns into beurre noisette, sear the yellow squash till it cooks however should have a little bite to it.
5) In a mixing bowl, add the salad leaves ( arugula and lettuce), pour cherry vinaigrette, add the cherry tomatoes , seared yellow squash and lime zest. Drizzle olive oil and toss gently.
6) Serve on a chilled plate with a base of seared Bandel Cheese topped with the salad. Pour little extra vinaigrette from top.