Cream cheese is a good substitute and addition to any kind of food, and it is being used in Indian food now. There are several restaurants, hotels and other food preparation outlets that are using this cheese in their Indian recipes, and here are some of them.

Cheese and cheese cubes have been part of the Indian kitchen for a long while now. Ever since instant noodles made their entry into the Indian market around two decades ago, every home maker has grated cheese and sprinkled it over the ‘masala’ noodles.

Cream cheese is an excellent addition to the traditional vadapav, which is basically a mixture of spicy, mashed potatoes fried in dough, and bundled with an open loaf of bread. While the vadapav was traditionally served with coriander chutney or even a sweetener, cream cheese is now being used as a substitute to all these. With the new Indian generation becoming more demanding in their requirements, the vadapav with cream cheese costs more.

This cheese can also be used with Indian salads too. Indian salads consist of cucumbers, tomatoes, beet roots and in some cases, bitter melons. Indian salads are mostly used as an appetizer and side dish with alcohol. Traditionally, Indian salads were served with sauce and coriander chutney, and cream cheese is fast replacing these mixtures. If the western world has Nachos, India has its traditional papads. Papads are basically thin slices of dough, which are deep fried in oil. They are thinner than Nachos, are used as a side dish with the traditional lunch and dinner.

One popular cheese snack is when Indian bread, which is basically a loaf of bread – and not sliced bread – is dipped in cream cheese. This makes for a healthy and appetizing snack. For those who would like to add to the taste, they can add other ingredients like chopped onions, tomatoes, red chili powder, etc.

Another important addition to the inventory of this cheese is the Frankie. Though the Frankie would seem a non-Indian recipe, it is actually Indian at soul. The round bread, popularly known as a ‘chapatti’ in India, is a staple of any Indian family breakfast, lunch and dinner. In fact, down North, it is the chapatti that forms an integral part of the family food, while it is in the South that rice is the most consumed. The simplest Frankie comprises of spices, onions, tomatoes, mashed potatoes, and cream cheese.

Cream cheese also makes an important entry into the traditional full food Indian dishes, like paneer and peas. Paneer is the Indian word for cottage cheese, and the combination of peas, onion, tomatoes, and this cheese have been an Indian family favorite since a long while now.

These are some of the simple recipes that use this cheese as an important ingredient. Cream cheese manufacturers are now concentrating on the Indian market, and the demand for this cheese in India is increasing day by day. This cheese is now available in all major supermarkets in India.