When it comes to healthy eating sometimes a salad can be a bland choice. But with these recipes it’s time to kick your boring salad to the curb and amp up the flavour with some South Asian ingredients.
*Looking for soups to add on? Check out our Indian soup recipes here! *
Greek Salad with Paneer
Ingredients
- 1 medium size cucumber, peel and diced
- 1 ½ cup baby tomatoes, washed and cut in half
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- ½ lemon, freshly juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil + oil for pan frying
- ½ teaspoon sumac
- 1 cup pan fried paneer cubes
Directions
- To pan fry paneer, dice paneer into ½ inch cubes. Heat drizzle of oil in a pan, place paneer cubes and fry until golden and repeat on each side. Once all sides are golden, let paneer cool.
- Place cucumber, tomatoes, onion in large bowl and toss. Add lemon juice, olive oil and sumac and mix until all veggies are coated. Serve with paneer on top. For a spicy twist, pan fry chili paneer or add thinly slice fresh chili when serving.
Fresh Salad Naan Wrap
Ingredients
- 1 pre-made naan
- 2 leaves fresh lettuce, washed and dried
- ¼ cucumber, cut into spears
- 5 baby tomatoes, washed and cut in half
- 1/8 sweet red pepper, cut into strips
- ¼ cup alfalfa or broccoli sprouts
- 1 tablespoon spicy curry mayo (see recipe below)
- 1 tablespoon pickled red onions (see recipe below)
Directions
- Warm naan until pliable, 1-2 minutes. You do not want naan to be hot.
- Spread spicy curry mayo over naan. Place lettuce down and place the remaining veggies on top. Serve immediately.
Spicy Curry Chick Pea Mayo
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (or cream cheese)
- ¼ cup chick peas
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic paste
- ¼ fresh chili, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Directions
- Rinse and boil chick peas until soft. Mash chick peas and let cool.
- Once chick peas are cool, mix all ingredients together. Store in fridge for up to 1 week.
Pickled Red Onions (makes a medium mason jar)
Ingredients
- 1-2 small red onions
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 dried chilies
Directions
- In a small saucepan, bring water, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup to a boil. Once boiling turn down heat and let mix simmer on low for 20 minutes. Turn the stove off and allow the vinegar mix to cool slightly.
- Prepare the onions, by finely slicing the onions using a mandolin or knife. Placed the dried chilies in the jar and firmly pack onions into a washed and dried mason jar. Onions should be packed all the way to the top of the jar.
- Slowly ladle slightly cooled vinegar mix over onions until the jar is filled. Tighten the lid on the jar and turn upside down to allow vinegar mix to get between onions. Place in fridge and allow the onions to pickle overnight. Store pickle in fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Sweet and Spicy Fresh Salad
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot, finely sliced
- 1 fresh chili, finely minced
- 1 cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 5 radishes, washed and thinly sliced
- ½ cup baby tomatoes, rinsed and cut in half
- ½ bunch cilantro, washed, leaves removed from stems, stems finely chopped
- ¼ cup key lime juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- crushed peanuts
Directions
- To make dressing, add lime juice, honey, oil, garlic, salt, chili, shallots and 2 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro stems to a jar and shake to mix.
- Place cucumber, carrots, radishes, tomatoes and yellow pepper to a bowl and toss.
- When ready to serve, toss veggies with dressing and top with cilantro leaves and peanuts
Now that you have these recipes, go and get your salad game on!
Main Image Photo Credit: www.bonappetit.com
Geeta Wahab
Author
Cultivating a life she loves, Geeta (@geets.suites) is chasing all her passions, including her love for home décor. As a brand new home owner, her current journey has launched her further into that world - check out her Instagram @geets.suites for tidbits of her story and other decorating pieces. A...