This Indian-style Paneer Salad with a spicy Greek yogurt dressing is a protein-packed, delicious vegetarian salad that comes together in just 20 minutes. Quick, easy, and perfect for a light, satisfying meal!
Paneer salad with a spicy Greek yogurt dressing is simple to make, flavorful, and a great high-protein option for vegetarians. In this recipe, I have pan-fried the paneer, but you can also use an air fryer. The secret to a delicious paneer salad is in the dressing.
If you have some leftover paneer tikka, you can use it in this salad to make paneer tikka salad. Other high-protein Indian paneer recipes you might enjoy include paneer butter masala, paneer bhurji, and palak paneer.
Ingredients
- Paneer: For best results, use homemade paneer. If using store-bought paneer, soak it in hot water for 10-15 minutes before using.
- Veggies: I used onions, tomatoes, cucumber, colored bell peppers, and romaine lettuce.
- Spicy Greek Yogurt Dressing: Greek yogurt (hung curd), soaked cashews, garlic, seasonings like red chili powder, oregano (or Italian herbs), roasted cumin powder, red chili flakes, salt, lemon juice, and maple syrup.
How to Make Indian Style Paneer Salad
In a blender, add ½ cup Greek yogurt (hung curd), 6-8 soaked cashews, 1 garlic clove minced, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ teaspoon oregano (or Italian herbs), ½ teaspoon red chili flakes, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, salt to taste, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Blend to a smooth puree.
Note: Skip cashews if you are looking for a nut-free option.
In a pan, add 1 teaspoon of oil. Once it's hot, add 1 cup of paneer cubes, ½ teaspoon of red chili flakes, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Sauté about 3-4 minutes or until they are golden and crispy. Keep them aside. You can also air fry paneer.
In a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup of chopped romaine lettuce, ½ cup diced onions, ½ cup diced cucumber, ½ cup diced tomatoes, ½ cup diced colored bell peppers, and pan-fried paneer.
Next, add the spicy Greek yogurt dressing and 2 tablespoons of coriander leaves.
Toss well to combine. Adjust the seasoning at this stage if needed. You can enjoy the salad right away or refrigerate it for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
Serving Suggestions
This Indian style paneer salad pairs well with spinach corn sandwich or soups like creamy tomato soup or creamy mushroom soup.
Tips & Variations
- More Veggies: You can add hearty veggies of your choice, like avocado, sweet corn, or boiled sweet potatoes.
- No Paneer: If you don't like paneer, replace it with extra-firm tofu.
- No Greek Yogurt: If you don't have Greek yogurt at home, take regular homemade yogurt, pour it into a muslin cloth, and drain the whey for 30 minutes above the kitchen sink. Here is the detailed recipe on how to make hung curd at home. I do not recommend using regular curd.
- Protein: You can add any beans, like boiled chickpeas, or boiled kidney beans, to this salad.
- Nuts & Seeds: You can add roasted nuts like air fryer roasted peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and seeds such as flax or hemp seeds for added crunch and nutrition.
More Indian Salad Recipes
High Protein Paneer Salad (Indian Style)
Ingredients
For Paneer
- 1 cup paneer, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 200 grams)
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes optional
- salt, pepper to taste
For Dressing
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (hung curd)
- 6-8 soaked cashews (or soaked almonds)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano (or Italian herbs)
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes optional
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional, but recommended
Veggies
- 1 cup romaine lettuce
- ½ cup onion diced
- ½ cup cucumber diced
- ½ cup tomato deseeded and diced
- ½ cup colored bell peppers diced
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
Instructions
- In a blender, add Greek yogurt (hung curd), soaked cashews, garlic clove minced, red chili powder, oregano (or Italian herbs), red chili flakes, cumin powder, salt to taste, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Blend to a smooth puree.
- In a pan, add oil. Once it's hot, add paneer cubes, red chili flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Sauté about 3-4 minutes or until they are golden and crispy. Keep them aside. You can also air fry the paneer.
- In a large mixing bowl, add romaine lettuce, diced onions, diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, diced colored bell peppers, and pan-fried paneer.
- Next, add the spicy Greek yogurt dressing and coriander leaves.
- Toss well to combine. Adjust the seasoning at this stage if needed. You can enjoy the salad right away or refrigerate it for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Tips & Variations
- More Veggies: You can add hearty veggies of your choice, like avocado, sweet corn, or boiled sweet potatoes.
- No Paneer: If you don't like paneer, replace it with extra-firm tofu.
- No Greek Yogurt: If you don't have Greek yogurt at home, take regular homemade yogurt, pour it into a muslin cloth, and drain the whey for 30 minutes above the kitchen sink. Here is the detailed recipe on how to make hung curd at home. I do not recommend using regular curd.
- Protein: You can add any beans, like boiled chickpeas, or boiled kidney beans, to this salad.
- Nuts & Seeds: You can add roasted nuts like air fryer roasted peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and seeds such as flax or hemp seeds for added crunch and nutrition.
Nutrition
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Kirthana
Super Tasty recipe!! I was looking for a salad recipe to bring to a potluck and tried this one and everyone loved it! Thank you so much for a blog full of delicious and easy recipes!
Bhavana Patil
I am so glad you liked the recipe Kirthana. Thank you for sharing your feedback.