Warm Spiced Chickpea and Paneer Salad

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare all fresh ingredients before cooking. Dice 200 g cucumber, 150 g tomatoes, and 100 g red onion into small 0.5 cm pieces. Cut 150 g paneer into 1 cm cubes and pat them dry with paper towels to prevent splashing. Rinse and thoroughly drain 400 g canned chickpeas.

2. 2

   In a large salad bowl, combine the diced cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion. Mix them gently with a spoon so the colours spread evenly throughout the bowl, then set this fresh mix aside while you heat the skillet on the stove.

3. 3

   Heat 15 ml neutral vegetable oil in a wide nonstick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the 150 g cubed paneer in a single layer. Fry for 4 minutes, turning the cubes occasionally with a spatula, until all sides turn golden brown and lightly crispy.

4. 4

   Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 400 g drained chickpeas and 40 g roughly chopped roasted peanuts to the skillet with the paneer. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes until the chickpeas are warmed through and the peanuts smell toasted and aromatic.

5. 5

   Turn off the stove and move the skillet off the warm burner. Let the chickpea and paneer mixture rest in the pan for 5 minutes. This cooling period prevents the hot ingredients from wilting the crisp cucumber and tomatoes when combined.

6. 6

   Transfer the warm chickpea and paneer mixture into the salad bowl containing the raw vegetables. Drizzle 30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice over everything. Toss gently with two spoons until evenly combined, and serve warm immediately in individual salad bowls.

Serve with

Sauce

Brazilian Green Herb Dip (Molho Verde)

Brazilian · 15 min

Drink

Chinese Chrysanthemum Goji Herbal Tea (Juhua Gouqi Cha)

Chinese · 30 min