My-Heart-Beets Salad - Valentine's Day Dinner for 6, Part II

My-Heart-Beets Salad

(name coined by PinkRickshaw)

recipe by rabbit food rocks

Serves 6
This was very tasty - you must try it!

Ingredients:

12 ounces mixed baby greens

1 can sliced pickled beets in red wine vinegar, drained

1/2 cup walnuts

12-14 cubes fried paneer*, crumbled into bits by hand

toasted fennel seeds (don't skip!)

6 black pepper urad dal Papadum , microwaved for 2 mins each (or less, depending on your microwave)

 

Dressing:

I stole the one from Susan @ Foodblogga in this recipe because the mint and sweetness really complement the spice of the papadum. I quadrupled the dressing quantity shown in her recipe for a party of 6 and it was the perfect amount. (I used regular balsamic vinegar, so I reduced the 8 Tablespoons that I needed down to 6 Tablespoons...it was perfect.

 

Directions:

1. You can microwave the papad and also make the dressing in advance the morning of the dinner.

2. With a paring knife, cut the sliced beets into heart shapes. Yeah...a little crazy, but look how dorky you get to be! (Reserve the beet scraps for a weekday lunch salad!)

3. When you are ready to start serving, mix the greens with the dressing in a large bowl. Toss well.

4. To plate the salads, put the papadum on the plate, then top with 2 oz (a handful) of dressed greens, then top with "heart beets" (heehee), paneer, walnuts, and lastly, toasted fennel seed. The toasted fennel seed really adds a little something!
 

*The fried paneer is available at most Indian grocery stores in the freezer section. They sell them in a small polybag of fried paneer cubes. Just count about 2 cubes per person, defrost them, and crumble them by hand over each salad.

 

Now the other question is: How do you eat this?

This is what I told my guests. Using your fork perpendicular to the plate, gently "Stab" your salad to break up the papad underneath. This stabbing action really goes along with the Valentine's Day theme.  It's a gentle loving stab. As you work your way through, both stabbing and eating, the broken papadum pieces eventually become like gluten-free croutons.