Mozzarella cheese origins can be traced back to Italy, Naples. Although, according to legend, it was an invention that happened accidentally, just like the creation of various types of cheese. It is believed that the mozzarella took its form when cheese curds were accidentally dropped in hot water. Mozzarella cheese, though, was not able to spread to very long distances. Reason? Temperature, as this cheese cannot cover very long distances without a suitable temperature, and had taken its time to travel to places like Pakistan. In this manner, it is understandable why it took quite a time for Pakistan to adapt this delicacy as it wasn’t a local dish. We had paneer, which already had small storage time which varied in its lifetime when stored.
The world has been adapting to different cultures and foods, and with time, Pakistan has also adapted to various cuisines like Japanese and Korean food, but one ingredient that has become too common is none other than cheese. We add it to our fast food or our traditional food wherever we feel like it. We mould its taste to our own demands. But now as we adapt to various cuisines, we have become more aware of our own unhealthy diet. In the selection of our own diet we see those desi breakfast which are dripping with oil, to an extend we can definitively enjoy them but the idea is, taking it without moderation will make you regret it later. It's not like we don't have healthy options, but we have just turned a blind eye toward them. Often people on a diet take bran bread or skimmed milk, but cheese in this regard is still the center of attention of both fast food loving population and healthy concerned public, as it is a neutral ground if taken in moderation. Achha Mozzarella cheese is good in proteins, sodium, and is very rich in calcium.
One of the most popular appetizers made with Achha mozzarella cheese is gooey, crispy mozzarella sticks, which is one of the most soothing and soul healing appetizers one can add before a meal. The catch? They are not just one of the delicious appetizers but are one of the very quick recipes which make it a quick hit, you can make it level up with a marinara sauce.
Ingredients
1. Bread crumbs
2. Achha mozzarella cheese block 500 gm
3. 2 eggs
4. ½ Garlic powder
5. ½ Italian seasoning
6. ½ teaspoon dried parsley
7. ¼ teaspoon table salt
8. 150 gm All-purpose flour
Instructions:
1. In a bowl, add bread crumbs with the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, dried parsley and salt. Mix it well so that the spices are properly incorporated into it. It would be better to use the breadcrumbs often used for the frying of seafood like tempura, which is often called panko, or you can create some in your home by crushing the bread in a mixer. The flakey texture it gives is quite remarkable and enhances the beauty of your cuisine.
2. In another bowl, whisk two eggs properly so that they are smooth, if you are unable to do it properly, the scrambled egg wont attach properly with the mozzarella stick and may be unable to stick the dry ingredients properly
3. Now take the Achha mozzarella cheese and cut it into long pieces, the size is up to you how you want it to look like but I will recommend to go with at least a thumb width. Selecting Achha mozzarella cheese is due to the rich texture of the mozzarella cheese, which gives it the long stretch that everyone loves and the flavor is creamy and rich which just hits the taste buds right.
4. Now the most crucial process, dip the mozzarella sticks into the flour such that it is properly covered in it. Shake it slightly so that excess is removed. Then dip the cheese into the egg, covering it entirely, and shake to remove the excess egg. Lastly, dip the mozzarella stick into the bread crumbs bowl which contains the spices. Cover it well so that there are no empty spots left. Cheese when fried will turn gooey, and we don’t want that to open as it spills into oil, so we must cover it well.
5. Put all the mozzarella sticks in a tray and put inside the freezer. This is a step you cannot skip because without this, your mozzarella cheese wont survive the frying flight. Freeze it for at least an hour or so until it is solid.
6. The next step is to heat the oil in a pan. It must stay in between very hot or warm. As it may not give you an excellent result if on very high temperature resulting in a burnt mozzarella stick, which may spill or a mozzarella stick which loses its form in the middle of getting even brown.
(If you want to make it when you have less time, the best option is to store them in your freezer. You can store the mozzarella sticks for 2 or 3 months. Though they can last longer but freezing may cause it to have freeze burn, which would affect the taste of Achha cheese.)
7. Add mozzarella sticks into the pan. For staying safe it is better to fry them in pair. So that a spill can be controlled. Fry them for one minute, or just take them out when the color is golden brown.
8. Enjoy your warm mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce or a side of your choice
