Paneer recipes are one of the most satifying when it comes to vegetarian friendly meals. One of my favorite ways to eat paneer (indian fresh cheese) is by simply pan frying followed by a sprinkle of chaat masala and squeeze of lemon. Secondly, I am a huge fan of chopped salads, the texture of bite sized protein and vegetables together is beyond amazing! The starting point of this recipe was combining the two together to make a sort of a chopped salad look-alike using our favorite thing out there- paneer! This paneer salad is so satisfying to eat as a desk lunch or for a light & crisp summer dinner. To balance the savoriness of paneer and the chickpeas, I add chopped fruit and honey to the dressing. Since it can feel a bit bland without some heat, you do need some kick either from jalapeños or (better yet) fresno pepper (you can de seed them). I personally enjoy the combo of sweet, savory and spicy going on this salad.
Ingredients
Paneer - You can use any kind of paneer you can find at grocery store. It is easily available in stores like Whole foods or Sprouts. If you are on a weight loss journey, you can use low fat paneer. Homemade paneer is a great option as well. Chopped Vegetables - Colored bell peppers, cucumbers, onions. You can add tomatoes , avocados or shredded carrots as well. Fruits - I find adding fruits brings in really wonderful sweetness. Since its summer right and mangoes are the thing of the hour, I added them. You can add chopped apples or grapes as well. Chickpeas- Add a wonderful taste and texture. You can use kala chana (skin on black chickpeas) as well. Other Ingredients - Cut up chillies, handful of cashews(or almonds), fresh herbs. Dressing Ingredints - Oil (I used avocado, you can use olive oil), honey, ginger juice (grate a knob of ginger and squeeze it), lemon, chaat masala, chilli flakes, pink salt.
How to Make Paneer Vegetable Salad
It is very simple to make paneer salad. Read the tips section below to learn how to make it all the more tasty. All you need to do is chop the vegetables, saute paneer (while chopping, multitasking!) and toss with the dressing. Lets see how.
Substitutions
Vegan FriendlySimply use extra firm tofu and maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing. To Make Grain Free-Skip the Chickpeas. To Make Nut Free - Skip the roasted cashews.
My Tips
Make sure that the paneer is dry before you pan fry it. You can pan fry the paneer in ghee instead of oil for extra flavor. One of the things to keep in mind is to make sure that everything is cut in more or less same size. It really adds makes a lot of difference in taste and texture of the salad. To make sure that the salad isn’t watery, toss with dressing just before you are about to serve. If you are serving for a party or taking along for potluck, store or take along the dressing separately. You can double this dressing recipe and store it in the fridge. It is so good on anything. Kid friendly - Skip the chilli flakes chili. Add extra fruit. Trust me they will lap it up. You can add avocado slices on top of the salad before serving.
More Paneer Recipes
Paneer Bhurji Achari Paneer Tikka Palak Paneer Paneer Chowmein Makhani Paneer Pizza Paneer Paratha
