Pan-Fried Paneer Salad with Toasted Grains
a light, refreshing salad with toasted grains, cucumber, corn, radishes, and pan-fried paneer cheese
servings: 4
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup grain blend (quinoa, millet, buckwheat)
- kosher salt
- 2 baby cucumbers, very thinly sliced
- 1 small shallot, very thinly sliced
- ½ red fresno pepper, very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- vegetable oil
- ½ lb paneer cheese, cut into ½” cubes
- 2 ears corn
- 4 radishes, very thinly shaved
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- ¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the grains and a pinch of salt. Bring back to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook for about 15-18 minutes, or until the water has absorbed and the grains are slightly toasted on the bottom (watch closely so they don’t burn). Turn the heat off, let sit for 5 minutes, and then fluff the grains with a fork. Allow the grains to cool.
- Meanwhile, combine the sliced cucumbers, shallot, red fresno pepper, red wine vinegar, and honey in a mixing bowl. Toss well and let sit for 10 minutes to marinate.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom. Pat the paneer cheese cubes very dry. Once the oil is hot, place the cheese into the skillet. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden. Transfer the cheese to a plate lined with paper towels. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Add a little olive oil to the skillet. Slice the corn kernels off the cobs. Add the corn to the oil. Quickly saute until caramelized and tender. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Add the grains, corn, radishes, olive oil, dill, mint, and basil to the cucumber bowl. Mix well and season with salt to taste. Serve with the pan-fried paneer on top.
Notes
You can use any grain you’d like for this – farro, brown rice, quinoa, etc. would all be great.