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Paneer and roasted beet salad

Name: Paneer and roasted beet salad
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: plain unsweetened kefir, buttermilk or yogurt 240ml; ground cumin ½ tsp; ground turmeric ½ tsp; chilli powder ½ tsp; black peppercorns ground to make ½ tsp; paneer 400g; beetroots 4 medium (455g), ideally a mixture of red and yellow; extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp, plus extra for the pan; ripe mango 140g, diced; grapeseed oil or olive oil 60ml; kefir or buttermilk 120ml; lime juice 1½ tbsp; Dijon mustard 1 tbsp; black peppercorns ground to make ¼ tsp; chilli powder ¼ tsp; rocket 200g; extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp; black peppercorns ground to make 1 tsp; amchoor powder (dried mango powder) 2 tsp

1 hour 15 minutes + Marinating
serves 4
Easy

A riot of colour, Nik Sharma's flavoursome salad combines seared paneer with roasted beetroot and a fresh mango, lime and kefir dressing

By Nik Sharma

Published: January 12, 2021 at 4:36 pm

Try this easy paneer salad, then check out our saag paneer, matar paneer, paneer tikka masala and more paneer recipes.

Recipe author Nik Sharma says: “There is a joy that I find hard to express when I eat ripe Indian mangoes – the aroma reminds me of summer holidays in Goa.”

Ingredients

MARINADE

plain unsweetened kefir, buttermilk or yogurt 240ml
ground cumin ½ tsp
ground turmeric ½ tsp
chilli powder ½ tsp
black peppercorns ground to make ½ tsp
paneer 400g

BEETS

beetroots 4 medium (455g), ideally a mixture of red and yellow
extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp, plus extra for the pan

MANGO-LIME DRESSING

ripe mango 140g, diced
grapeseed oil or olive oil 60ml
kefir or buttermilk 120ml
lime juice 1½ tbsp
Dijon mustard 1 tbsp
black peppercorns ground to make ¼ tsp
chilli powder ¼ tsp

TO SERVE

rocket 200g
extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
black peppercorns ground to make 1 tsp
amchoor powder (dried mango powder) 2 tsp

Method

Step 1

Whisk together the kefir, cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, black pepper and 2 tsp of salt in a small bowl. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Pour the marinade into a large bowl or resealable bag.
Step 2

Cut the paneer into roughly 2.5cm x 5cm pieces and add them to the marinade, then toss to coat evenly or seal the bag and gently shake. Leave to marinate for 1 hour at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge.
Step 3

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. While the paneer marinates, prepare the beets. Peel, trim the ends and cut into quarters. Put the beets in a baking dish or roasting tray, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt. Roast for 30-45 minutes or until they are tender on the inside and a knife slides through the centre with ease. Remove from the oven and allow them to rest for 10 minutes.
Step 4

While the beets roast, prepare the dressing. Put the mango, oil, kefir, lime juice, mustard, pepper and chilli powder into a blender, and pulse on a slow speed until combined and smooth. Season with salt to taste.
Step 5

Cook the paneer just before you’re ready to assemble the salad. Heat a cast-iron griddle pan or a medium non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and brush the surface with a little olive oil. With a pair of kitchen tongs, carefully lift the paneer out of the marinade and cook in batches in the hot pan for 2-3 minutes per side or until it turns golden brown and slightly seared.
Step 6

To serve, toss the rocket in a large mixing bowl with the olive oil. Add the pepper and season with salt, followed by the warm, grilled paneer. Drizzle with a few tbsp of the salad dressing. Sprinkle with the amchoor just before serving and serve the remaining salad dressing on the side.

This paneer and beet salad with mango-lime dressing recipe is adapted from LA-based food writer Nik Sharma's book The Flavor Equation (£26, Chronicle Books).