With so many interesting salad options around these days — in restaurant menus, in food blogs, in cookbooks, it is no more difficult to live on salads which are healthy and wholesome and also tasty at the same time. Chef Balaram Dey of Mistral restaurant in Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, has sent us these yummy spreads.
Quinoa salad
Ingredients
120 gms blanched Quinoa seeds
40 gms brunoised green beans
40 gms brunoised bell peppers
10 gms toasted pine nuts
20 gms brunoised red onion
1 tsp Sumac powder
1 tsp Zaatar powder
2 pinch chopped garlic
1/2 tsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Method
In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add Quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 14 minutes. Allow it to cool to room temperature and fluff the Quinoa seeds with a fork.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, Sumac powder, Zaatar powder, chopped garlic, lemon juice, brunoised green bean, bell pepper, red onion, and chopped parsley. Stir in the cooled Quinoa.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with toasted pine nuts. Serve.
Grilled chicken salad
Ingredients
160 gm chicken thigh boneless ( without skin)
50 gms char grilled zucchini
50 gms char grilled asparagus
40 gms red pepper
20 gms grilled onion rings
4-5 nos cherry tomato
3-4 no snow peas
3-4 nos French beans
40 gms mixed lettuce leaves
1/4 tsp sesame oil
8 ml orange juice reduction
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Method
Preheat the grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the chicken on the grill, and cook for about six minutes per side or until juices run clear. Remove from heat and slice the chicken into bite size.
In a large bowl, add the mixed lettuce leaves, cherry tomato, French beans, snow peas, grilled asparagus, zucchini and bell peppers. Then toss them with sesame orange dressing (sesame oil, orange reduction, toasted sesame seeds, extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper) Top with the shredded grilled chicken, grilled onion rings and tossed sesame seeds. Serve.
About the chef
Balram Dey, is the chief chef at Mistral, a new restaurant at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj. Chef Balram brings with him 12 years of experience after working with brands like Indigo, Mumbai, Firangi Paani, Mumbai, Red box, China Gate, Mumbai, Corma, The Liquid Lounge, Mumbai, among others. He has been associated with Mistral for a year now. After completing his hotel management from West Bengal, Chef Balram got his first big break with Pot Pourri, Mumbai, in 2001. His favourite cuisines are Continental and Italian and Quinoa salad is his weakness.
