Paneer, Peas, Corn Salad in Tomato Baskets

Salads are our family’s favorite item. Especially during festive time when I am busy, attending family’s need is also a must. Therefore, for quick and healthy cooking, salads are my choice. During Festive time, I avoid onion in salads. This salad I prepare often, as my family likes paneer, peas and corn very much. I tried to garnish it for Nithya – Pavithra’s Innovative In-Laws “Garnish the Dish” event.

To prepare this salad I took 15 minutes. However, for carving vegetables, it took 2 hours, as we are not masters in this art. Finally, I took my daughter’s help; she only did the vegetable carvings successfully. This salad contains corn to substitute carbohydrate, paneer and peas for protein substitute and tomato, carrot, cucumber for vegetable substitute.

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 15 minutes other than garnishing

Ingredients

• Fresh Paneer – 200 gm
• American sweet corn and frozen peas mixed – 1 cup
• Carrot – 1 no
• Capsicum – you need only a small piece for carving leaf
• Cucumber – 1 no
• Lemon – 1 no
• Tomato – 4 no
• Roasted cumin powder – ½ tea spoon
• Black pepper powder – ½ tea spoon
• Chat masala – ½ tea spoon (optional)
• Salt – as per your choice
• Cooking oil – ½ tea spoon

Method

Step 1

• Wash, peel cucumber and carrot; do carvings as shown; wash tomato and do the carvings like basket; do carving in capsicum like leaves; make a rose with tomato skin.

Step 2

• Boil corn and peas with little salt, drain and keep; cut paneer into small pieces; mix paneer pieces, boiled peas, corn, oil, salt, cumin powder, pepper powder, chat masala and lemon juice; toss and keep.

• Now fill tomato baskets with salad, arrange as you like and serve.

Tips

• Use sharp knife for carving.
• Do not attempt carving vegetables if you are in a hurry.

This post is part of the event “Garnish the Dish” organised by Nithya and Pavithra.

Update: October 15

Thanks to Innovative In-Laws for selecting and giving an award “Winner: In-Laws Choice” to this post.