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Paneer and Quinoa salad

A wholesome and filling salad which is not only beautiful but delicious as well.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings: 2 persons
Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the dressing/marinade:
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp mustard paste (senf)
  • 1 tsp honey
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • a few grinds of freshly crushed black pepper
For the salad:
  • 150 gram Paneer (cubed)
  • 1 medium Persian cucumber
  • 8-10 cherry tomatoes (or 1 medium sized tomato, diced)
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 2 stalks spring onion
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds

Method
 

For the dressing/marinade:
  1. Add all the dressing/marinade ingredients into a small glass jar. Put the lid on and give a it good shake until everything is well combined.
For the salad:
  1. Pour the prepared marinade onto the cubed paneer. Coat the paneer pieces with the marinade all over. Keep side until the vegetables are being prepared.
  2. Dice the cucumber into bite sized pieces. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves. Slice the onion into rings. Finely slice the spring onions. Transfer the vegetables into a big salad bowl.
  3. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat and grease lightly. Once hot place the paneer pieces all over the pan and fry until golden brown. Reserve the leftover marinade to use as dressing later. Flip sides and continue frying until 2-3 sides are golden brown. Take off heat and let it slightly cool down until we move on to the next steps.
  4. Add the cooked quinoa and pomegranate seeds to the salad bowl.
  5. When the fried paneer has slightly cooled down add it to the salad bowl as well.
  6. Pour the leftover marinade over the salad, that we reserved earlier. Toss the salad together to combine everything well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
  7. Serve!!

Notes

  • You could prep the salad ahead of time by marinating and frying the paneer, and cutting all the vegetables. Store the vegetables, paneer and dressing separately. Add the dressing and toss just before serving the salad.
  • You can modify the salad according to your preference. Add the vegetables of your choice, or replace the quinoa with brown rice, couscous or bulgur. 
  • If short of time, you can skip frying the paneer. Marinate it as instructed and add to the salad at the end.