Panir and spinach salad with walnut-coriander dressing (Paneer palak salaad)

Salads are new to Indian cuisine, at least in the way we eat them in the Western world. So I was surprised to see this lovely salad in this cookbook.

This is a simple salad, but one that is hearty and fresh. The paneer and walnuts are rich and filling, but the greens and dressing are light and fresh. I loved the flavour contrast, the slightly sweet and aromatic dressing. This salad could easily become a light lunch.

Yamuna Devi's cookbook is probably the first I bought when I moved to the US 30 years ago for my Ph.D. Over the years, I have cooked almost half the recipes, it is the cookbook that taught me technique, flavour profiles and always gave me a wonderful meal. This vegetarian cookbook is essential on any shelf, it is the bible of Indian vegetarian cuisine.

For more recipes from this fantastic cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons crushed or finely diced walnuts

2 tablespoons orange juice

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons cilantro, minced

2 teaspoons sugar

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds, lightly pounded

1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the salad:

6 oz. paneer cheese

1 tablespoon ghee

6 oz. baby spinach

1 yellow or red pepper, jullienned

1 ripe avocado, sliced

3 tablespoons walnuts

Mix all the ingredients for he dressing and set aside for one hour to allow the flavours to merge.

Heat the frying pan with the ghee. Fry the paneer until the paneer is a deep brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels. Do this right befre you serve the salad or the paneer tends to get greasy and not look appetizing.

Plate the salad right befor you serve it. Layer the baby spinach in a bowl. Top with the peppers and avocado. top with the paneer and drizzle 2 tablespoons of the dressing over the salad. Top with the walnuts and serve with extra dressing on the side.