The House of Spices

What is a Paneer Summer Salad?

Have you ever tasted a salad that does not taste like a salad? Or a salad that hits every taste bud of yours? Well, this paneer summer salad is all of that and more! 

 

Imagine the sweetness of  mango, crispy paneer, mixed salad leaves tossed in lemon juice and black pepper and refreshing mint leaves all served in a single spoon - That’s my paneer summer salad! An irresistible salad that does not taste like any salad that you've tried before and can ironically be served all year round.

 

Do we need to add lemon, sugar and mint?

Yes, these ingredients add flavour and acidity to the salad. If you skip the sugar, the salad will turn sour. If you skip the lemon, the salad will be too sweet. If you skip the mint, the salad will no longer be refreshing. Hence, it’s very important to add all these ingredients in moderation to create an overall balanced flavour.

 

Can I use homemade paneer?

Yes, you can either use store bought or homemade paneer. However, please ensure that whichever paneer you are using, it needs to be firm and able to hold its shape. You don’t want the paneer to break and crumble while baking it or when you are mixing it into your salad.

 

How can we make this salad vegan?

I’ve never made this salad using any other ingredient apart from paneer, but Vegan Feta, Vegan Mozzarella or even Vegan Halloumi should be a great substitute for the paneer. If you are using vegan cheese, you can grill it in a pan or use it in the salad directly instead of baking it in the oven.

 

Another great alternative which I’m sure would work better is Tofu. Tofu is a great vegan alternative to Paneer. Although if you plan on using tofu, please do keep in mind that it would take longer to cook in the oven and achieve the golden exterior.

 

I don’t have an oven at home, can I pan fry the paneer?   

Absolutely! You can pan fry the paneer for a minute or two, until slightly golden brown. Don’t fry them too long as they’ll turn crispy, hard and brown. You want them to be soft and squidgy.  Alternatively, you can also use an air fryer if you like! You can also skip the sesame seeds when frying as they won’t stick onto the paneer. You can instead sprinkle it later on. 

 

Can I make the salad in advance and store it?

Nope! Unfortunately unlike my other recipes, this salad cannot be prepared in advance nor can you store it once it’s ready. The salad has a very short shelf life once everything is mixed together, hence it tastes best when served immediately. If you leave the salad out for more than an hour or two, it will become watery and taste completely different.

 

Any substitutes for the ingredients mentioned?

There are no substitutes for any of the ingredients to make this salad, apart from replacing the paneer with Tofu or Vegan cheese if you intend to make this recipe vegan. Having said that, please do not skip any ingredient. All the ingredients used to make this salad helps in giving it an incredible and refreshing flavour. If you skip an ingredient, you will not get the complete flavour you would have got otherwise.

 

Any tips for making this salad?

1. Ensure your mango is cold before using it in the salad.

2. Utilise fresh ingredients to make this salad refreshing! 

3. Although the measurements have been provided to help in creating this salad, please feel free to eye-ball the ingredients. This salad is supposed to be rich in multiple flavours hence, even if you add a bit extra of an ingredient it should be fine.