The new dimsum place in Bangalore - Yauatcha

Until recently, I'd always thought the word dim sum stands for a particular dish in Cantonese cuisine. And then I learnt that it is a term for a set of bite sized dishes that were historically served along with tea tasting (yum cha). Tea houses along the much travelled roads would be frequented by hungry travelers / farmers to relax with tea and small plates of dim sum. 

According to the wikipedia stub on dim sum:

The unique culinary art of dim sum originated with the Cantonese in southern China, who over the centuries transformed yum cha from a relaxing respite to a loud and happy dining experience. In Hong Kong, and in most cities and towns in Guangdong province, many restaurants start serving dim sum as early as five in the morning. It is a tradition for the elderly to gather to eat dim sum after morning exercises.

So what exactly constitutes dim sum? There's a range of food, from steamed (eg. char siu bao - steamed buns with pork) to pan fried (turnip cakes) to deep fried (duck rolls, mini spring rolls etc.). Most of the food is served in steamer baskets to keep them warm. Typically, dim sum restaurants also offer plates of steamed green veggies, roasted meats, congee and other soups on the aside. Custard tarts are especially popular as a dessert.

Some of the key things about dim sum-
Small serving sizes 3-4 pieces / dish, one can order multiple dishes and share with the whole family. 
It is usually a loud and noisy dining experience, hardly suited for a romantic dinner. The open kitchens, loud wok noises and big groups of people eating together are hallmarks of a dim sum house. That's what Yauatcha aims to provide - a loud and happy dining experience. 

Yauatcha is a contemporary Dim Sum tea house which opened in London in 2004, receiving a Michelin star within one year of its opening. The restaurant is a modern interpretation of the traditional Chinese teahouse. After its launch in India in December 2011 in Mumbai, the restaurant has opened in Bangalore this month. 

We were invited for a preview lunch at the newly opened Bangalore Yauatcha and the first thing that struck me is once you enter the restaurant, you forget you are in a mall. I guess the noise distracts and then the food takes you in its fold. The ambience comprises of simple decor with clean lines and fresh colours. There's bar seating as well, where guests can order anything from the food menu as well. Given that we were invited as a preview guests, I am hoping the service remains as courteous and as attentive to the many guests who come in as the restaurant gains popularity over the coming weeks.

 My lunch partner tried some of the specialties of the house and he has noted his experience here. What I loved about this place is an exclusive vegetarian menu, which was specially designed keeping in mind India's vegetarian population- so we have enough options to choose from instead of having to choose the only available veg stuff. 

My meal started with some Truffle Edamame Dumplings. The highlight of my Yauatcha experience were the fried turnip cakes. A foodblogger friend from Bombay had high praise for this dish when they had opened in Bombay and I was told that this tastes nothing like turnip (which is one of the very few vegetables that I don't care for at all). I have a simple policy when it comes to eating fried food. It has to taste SO good that the calories are worth it, and these cakes truly fit the bill. Topped with crunchy bits of fried garlic and shiitake mushroom (lots of this), I was truly in food heaven. 

The dipping sauces added the extra wow factor to this dish. 

For the mains, I had the Stir fried Udon noodles in Black pepper sauce - loved the texture of the thick udon noodles and the fresh bean sprouts that were a part of this dish. 

The stir fried green beans with shiitake mushrooms was one of the best green beans dishes I have eaten in a long time. Whole beans, blanched and stir fried in the wok with finely chopped shiitake mushrooms was a delight in terms of texture and flavour. I could have eaten the whole bowl by myself had it not been on the saltier side, given that the noodles were also a tad over salted. I'm aware that Cantonese food is known for its high sodium content, but since I consume less salt on a daily basis, my taste buds are highly sensitive to salt. 

The dessert was left it to our host manager to recommend and his recco was the Raspberry Delice. It was a stunning dessert, as you can tell from the picture, and one of my friends tells me that it's Yauatcha's most Instagrammed dish. Raspberry - chocolate is a heavenly combination and this dessert did full justice to that. I'm told while this is their most popular dessert, the other desserts are superb too, which I intend to try out when I'm there next time. 

To summarise, we loved all the dishes we tried, just that it's not for a quiet dining or for having a conversation or a business meeting. It's family style sharing and eating, and loud conversations over good food. I do wish they pull back on the salt a notch, since anyway as Indians we consume way too much salt and a lot of health conscious people are trying to cut down on the salt intake. Having said that, I shall peg Yauatcha as one of the must try new restaurants in Bangalore for its new concept and unique dishes.


DETAILS
Yauatcha 
Level 5, 1 MG Road Mall, MG Road
Opp Vivanta by Taj, Bangalore 560 008
For reservations call: 1800 266 1000
Or email: reservation.bengaluru@yauatchaindia.com

Parking - Mall parking
Credit cards accepted
Child friendly? - a little too noisy to manage noise sensitive kids, but the good part is no one will hear your kid talk loudly or cry.
Meal for two (without alcohol) ~INR 2000

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A memorable Restaurant Week India preview at Like That Only

Restaurant Week India (RWI) is on from 23rd September to 2nd October, 2013

Website: www.restaurantweekindia.com

Twitter: @restweekindia

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RestaurantWeekIndia 

Are you one of those Bangaloreans who forever crib about how far Whitefield is from the rest of civilization? Well, I have one reason for you to stop cribbing and make that trip already! Like That Only and their amazing RWI menu -you get to experience the quirky yet warm ambience, the genius of Chef Manu Chandra at RWI prices - you can't miss this!

The RWI Menu

Our meal started with some minced vegetable dimsums with accompanying sauces. I loved the fact that the filling was full of flavour and the dimsum cover light and translucent, and just enough to hold the filling together instead of a big doughy mouthful that masks the flavour of any filling. From the 'Appetizers' I'd highly recommend the Tempura Brie with pickled grapes, orange, almonds and plum sauce. It is a unique dish where a chunk of Brie cheese is lightly coated and fried making a crisp outside and a melting inside - I loved the play of textures and delicate flavours here. The husband had the Chilli, soy and grape glazed Pork Ribs with raw papaya salad. You'll find his comments on the meal here.

The chef also sent across some vegetarian sushi- asparagus tempura and cream cheese stuffed rolls, the crispy bite of the asparagus and the slight tartness from the cream cheese made the rolls a treat- topped with pickled ginger and dipped in the sauce, these were an absolute treat.

From the main course, if you are a vegetarian, I'd totally recommend the pan seared tofu with black bean sauce and rice cake. The portions of tofu steaks are quite generous and the tofu was silky soft and well flavoured with the black bean sauce. I didn't care for the rice cake too much though, but just the two pieces of tofu and the sautéed vegetables made it a satisfying main course. 

We got a tasting portion of the Murtabak with seasonal vegetables, curry sauce and pickles, but compared to the Asian stuff on the menu, I found this a little heavy, oily and low on flavour, which is why for vegetarians, the pan seared tofu is a better choice. The fish loving partner had the Pan seared sea bass with seasonal vegetables, mashed potato and a lemongrass broth and he was in foodie-heaven with the perfectly cooked fish and the intense flavours of the broth.

From the three desserts on the RWI menu, we tried two. The Kaffir Lime Creme brûlée with cinnamon crumble and lime gel made me tick all the boxes - creativity, flavours, texture and lightness - highly recommended. 

The other dessert was the Apple Streusel Cheesecake tart with Creme Anglaise - the name itself suggests that it is a richer dessert, regular flavours and heavier. It was decadent alright, but I loved the creme brûlée much more.

If you live in and around Whitefield, do not miss this beautiful culinary experience. If you live elsewhere in Bangalore, this is your best excuse to drive down to Whitefield. 

Citibank Restaurant Week India is amongst the most popular pan-India culinary events and gives discerning food enthusiasts the opportunity to dine at some of India’s finest restaurants at a fraction of a la carte rates. Citibank  cardholders  will  have  the  exclusive  privilege  of  making  reservations  starting  September  16, 2013,  through  the Restaurant Week India website  (www.restaurantweekindia.com),  while  general reservations will  commence  online  from  September  18,  2013.  At  participating  restaurants, customers will be offered a three-course prix fixe menu (with an option of vegetarian or non-vegetarian) in Mumbai and  Delhi  at  INR  1,000  for  lunch  and  INR  1,200  for  dinner,  and  in  Bangalore  at  INR  750  for  lunch  or dinner. The price, per individual, is exclusive of state and central taxes, service charges as well as dishes ordered outside of the special Citibank Restaurant Week menu.

List of restaurants in Bangalore participating in the RWI - Sep 2013 

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Quick Bite : Indian Bruschetta

I baked this partly whole wheat bread with flaxseeds this week. The only problem with baking your own bread is you can't stop eating it. The possible upside is that you can slice your bread as thin as you want to :) I can almost see all those of you who bake your own bread nod your heads solemnly. I usually try and avoid starting my day with bread, but when it's homemade, you are looking for every possible excuse. So this is what I had for breakfast today - thinly sliced bread, toasted on a low heat on the tava, rubbed with a clove of garlic and topped with a simple paneer mixture. This breakfast ticks all the boxes - good carbs, protein, veggies, fibre. Yay!

I've announced my first class on Baking Basics for 21st September. Do check the details on my Facebook page and do write in with your suggestions and queries.

Bruschetta - Indian style

Bruschetta - Indian Style
Serves 1
Time taken - 15 minutes

Ingredients
2 slices of wholegrain bread 
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped onions
1 small tomato, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1/4 cup paneer, cut into small cubes
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of red chilli powder

Directions
On a skillet or in the toaster, toast the bread till golden and crisp.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small wok and saute the onions till translucent (~2 mins). Add the tomatoes, coriander and saute for another minute. Don't fry the tomatoes to a mush. Add the paneer, salt, red chilli powder and stir gently till seasoned through. Remove from heat and keep aside.
Rub the clove of garlic all over the toasted slices of bread(one side).
Divide the paneer mixture equally between the two (or three, depending on size of bread) slices.
Eat immediately.

This makes for a wholesome breakfast or good for lunch too, when paired with a soup.

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Healthy Baking: The Really Gingery Ragi Biscuit

Ragi, flaxseed, jaggery, ginger, sesame seeds - you might wonder what these utterly healthy ingredients are doing in a cookie! You might even think it's a complete madhouse of an idea. Ragi / nachni / mandwa / finger millets have been an Indian superfood well before everyone and their uncle started pestering relatives abroad to get them boatloads of quinoa for their daily consumption instead of rice. India, being the world's largest producer of millets, it's high time we showed some respect for our own grains, rather than scrambling after every latest food trend in the world. Ragi, like most other millets, formed a part of prehistoric Indian meals, then completely ignored and considered downmarket in the years that followed, where the rich ate rice, and now slowly the awareness of these prehistoric grains as being nutritional powerhouses is coming back. 

For those who haven't tasted ragi flour, it does have a coarse texture and wont feel as smooth as a refined flour in your mouth. The coarseness comes from the fiber content in ragi. Among all millets, ragi has the highest calcium content (370mg/100g). Its calcium content is nearly 10 times that of wheat (41mg/100g) and 35 times that of rice (10mg/100g). 

Sesame seeds, not only make these cookies look pretty, they are also rich in calcium and good fats, and with flaxseeds rich in omega-3, this is one uber-healthy recipe, perfect for your kid's lunch box treat or with your afternoon cup of tea. If you've baked cookies using traditional cookie recipes, you'd know that most of them call for 1-2 sticks of butter, upto 250 grams! Here, you get 20 biscuits with just 3 tbsp butter. You can, by all means, try substituting butter with ghee, for a richer, deeper flavour. 



Regarding flaxseeds, their nutrients are only absorbed if the seeds are powdered. You get powdered flaxseed in several supermarkets (Nilgiri's in Bangalore) and health food stores. If you don't find them, get the whole seeds, lightly toast 100 grams flaxseeds and powder it in the mixer. Keep in airtight container in the fridge. 

Recipe for Ragi - Ginger Biscuits
Makes 20
Time taken - Under 30 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cup ragi flour
1/2 cup maida
2 tbsp skimmed milk powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
5 tsp powdered jaggery
1/2 cup crystal sugar
2 tsp flaxseed powder
1 tsp dried ginger powder (sonth powder)
1/2 tsp finely grated ginger*
1/2 tsp chai masala or 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
3-4 tbsp cold milk
1 tbsp black sesame seeds + 1 tbsp white sesame seeds (or entirely white)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven at 180 C.
2. Keep a baking tray ready, lined with silicone mat or a greased tin foil or parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except butter and milk, until well combined.
4. Add the butter pieces and with finger tips rub the mixture together until it feels like bread crumbs
5. Add milk 1 tbsp at a time and knead gently till it comes together like a dough. 
6. Divide into 20 equal balls, rolling each between lightly greased palms. Gently press each ball on the sesame seeds laid out on a plate, only on one side and place the flattened ball, sesame seeds side up, on the baking sheet, leaving a little space between each cookie, for they'll expand.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180C until the tops are browned. Cool and store in air tight container.

Tip
*To get finely grated ginger for salad dressings, tea and ginger cookies, store the cleaned ginger roots in a ziploc bag in the freezer. They stay forever, don't get soggy and when grated, give finely powdered fresh ginger. 

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When we got grilling at Weber & Neetha's recipe for the best pizza ever

Bangalore weather, an open terrace and a grill when put together, the possibility of fun times are endless and that's what we were shown at the Independence Day celebration grilling workshop at the Weber Experience Center. 

My kinda play-doh :D

I 'grill' stuff in the oven, on the stove top grill pan, but grilling on an actual grill is a different ball game altogether. Lighting the charcoal, getting the grill to optimum temperature, where to position the food on the grill, how to clean the grill, safety precautions, there's a lot to understand and learn about this cooking technique.

The kitchen all set before the workshop

The fun part is grilling is not just about steaks or paneer tikkas. You can make delicious grilled pizzas, roast a whole chicken (or any other bird you fancy) and even make an apple pie on a grill. Once you know how to make the grill work for you, the possibilities are endless. 

Charcoal ready to be put into the grill

Our cooking instructor, Neetha and the grill expert, Shiva were our teachers for the afternoon. We started with some of the basics like how to fire up the grill, safety mechanisms etc. Weber not only sells grills but also everything you need for grilling such as uniformly shaped charcoal made from coconut fibre, the cakes to light the grill with just a matchstick, the steel wool grill cleaners and so on. Armed with a few of these accessories, it seemed like quite a breeze to light, cook and clean up. 

Pizzas going into the grill

We started by making the pizza dough - a regular one and a multigrain base with flaxseeds (which I loved). Neetha also showed us how to make a cheese burst pizza, which most of the participants were happy to upgrade their pizza to, but their wait to get their pizza out of the grill was somewhat longer than us regular pizza folks, as a thick pizza takes longer to get done. There was also a whole roast chicken with delicious mushroom stuffing, I could almost eat the stuffing raw, it was that good. 

One of the show stoppers of the session was the paneer & veggie skewers. Big chunks of paneer, squares of bell peppers in all colours and mushrooms, marinated in a special mix of spices, skewered and grilled to perfection, these were absolutely divine. 

Apple pie-fresh off the grill

The other show stopper of which we could not stop taking pictures were the apple pies made on the grill. The tops turned stunningly golden brown and glossy and insides were melt in your mouth. The others also made a chicken skewers sizzler with barbecue sauce. By this time, so much food had been consumed inhaled  eaten that the choco lava cakes which were the last thing on the menu had to be looked at with 'sorry-i'm-too-full' eyes!

Top 4 tips about grilling

1. Add the fat / oil to the marinade to the food and not on the grill. This will ensure food does not stick to the grill and it gets a nice golden colour on grilling.
2. Wait for the grill to heat up to the required temperature before placing the food, or it will stick to the grill.
3. Foods that need to be cooked over longer period like a whole roast chicken or apple pie need to be placed away from the hot charcoal and not on top of it. This is indirect grilling. Foods like vegetables, paneer etc which get cooked in no time, they can be kept on the grill directly over where the charcoal is burning- this is direct grilling. 
4. Do not keep opening the covering lid to check the progress of the grilling. Each time you open the cover, the temperature drops and takes time to come back to the optimum temperature, resulting in a longer time taken to get the food cooked / grilled.

Grilling workshops at Weber (Bangalore) There are 3 kinds of workshops conducted at the Weber Experience Center. The basics of grilling which is free for all, an intermediate and an advanced session. Complete details available here. It's also a fun quality time for couples to learn grilling together.For regular updates on workshops, you could follow them on Facebook here.

I'm sharing with you Neetha's pizza recipe, which I made the following day at home and it turned out to be the best pizza I've made in ages.

For the multigrain base 

Makes 3 medium pizzas (medium thickness crust)

1 cup lukewarm water

2 tsp sugar

1 1/4 tsp instant (or active dry) yeast or 2 1/2 tsp fresh yeast, crumbled

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp flaxseed powder (grind flaxseeds to a coarse powder in the chutney jar)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup milk

2 tbsp olive oil

For pizza sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

200 g tomato puree (tetrapack is fine)

1 tsp chilli flakes (or less)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp dried herbs of choice (basil, oregano)

1 tsp sugar (the recipe says 2 tsp, but it was a tad too sweet)

1/2 tsp salt

For base:

In a large bowl, mix the water, sugar and yeast. Let it sit for 5-10 mins until frothy. This means that the yeast is active. Add the flours, flaxseed, milk, salt and knead until it comes together. Add the olive oil and knead till the dough is smooth (around 5 minutes). Cover and keep aside until doubled in volume. This could take 30 mins-1 hour depending on the weather.

Divide into 3 or 4 balls and keep aside.

For sauce:

Heat the oil, saute the garlic and onions until soft (around 3-5 mins), do not brown the onions. Add all remaining ingredients, and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove into a bowl and keep aside. You can make this ahead of time and refrigerate in air tight container.

Keep the toppings of your choice and mozzarella cheese ready.

Preheat the grill to around 200C / oven to 180C.

Grease a large square of tin foil with olive oil. Place the ball of dough and with fingers stretch it out by pressing, into 7-8" diameter circle. Brush with oil and allow this to rest for 5 minutes. Spread the pizza sauce (2 tbsp) evenly over this. Top with cheese (sliced or grated) and then with the toppings of your choice (olives, jalapenos, bell pepper, onions etc.). Bake for 25 minutes at 180C or grill for 10-15 mins (not directly over the coals), add more time for a stuffed (cheese burst) pizza.

Cut into wedges and eat immediately.

I'd like to thank Weber India for inviting me to this very useful and fun workshop.

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Eating out in Bangalore: Karavalli - A trip down the West Coast

"Karavalli has been around in Bangalore for the last 23 years with 80% of the menu remaining the same from the times the restaurant started"says Executive Chef Naren Thimmaiah. He has every reason to be proud. Any restaurant staying around a city's food scene for so long speaks volumes about its good food and service.

Chef Thimmaiah

Some of us were invited to sample the new additions to the Karavalli menu. The new menu aims to cover a few more regions along the West coast of India, which weren't represented adequately in their menu earlier. They've also added an outdoors grilling section where there's a variety of fresh fish & seafood along with a selection of marinades which you can choose from, making it a seafood lover's delight.

There's a slight modification to the lunch menu too, the number of dishes have been reduced to the regularly ordered popular ones and there's a typical South Indian lunch box 'set' in which lunch is served.

Captivating colours of the chutneys

The evening started with some of the bloggers getting behind the burners under the chef's guidance and grilling the marinated fish two ways, one of them being the black pomfret grilled in banana leaf pockets. I love this technique of grilling food wrapped in banana leaves. It makes sure the food doesn't get over grilled, and the leaves impart a delicate flavour to the food wrapped in it.

The vegetarians were served three kinds of starters. The Kaju Kothimbir Vadi (cashew and coriander seeds dipped in batter and deep fried until crunchy and golden) was seriously addictive. My favourite was the Pachakai Varuthathu (Plantain slices coated in spices and deep fried). It was seasoned just right and when paired with the three chutneys on the table, it tasted even better. The other dish was Oggaraneda Aritha Pundi, which I'm told is a Tulu community specialty. This tongue twister of a name is nothing but steamed rice dumplings tossed with a tempering of cumin, mustard seeds and spiced with curry powder and topped with coconut. We usually make these with the left overs of the rice dough used to make 'kozhakattai' or modaks. Personally, I prefer the Tambrahm version better, plus this is more of a tiffin item than a starter.

The mains

The mains were dedicated to wood fired dishes cooked in clay pots. There was a spicy seerfish curry and a South Canara lamb curry. Us vegetarians had a Kadala Gassi, which is the black chana cooked in South Canara style, where the gravy is made from roasted spices and coconut. My favourite here was the 'Havyaka' style Preserved Mango Curry, this was similar to the Mango Moar Kozhambu we make, but using preserved mango instead of fresh. [Read more about Havyaka cuisine here] I prefer the fresh mangoes in this preparation, but the curry flavours were really mouthwatering. The curries were served with a choice of Malabar Paratha, Aapam, Idiappam or Kuttanad Boiled rice, which is the red rice from Kerala.

Desserts

The desserts were a unique mix of flavours, perfectly paired with each other. The sharp, tanginess of the tamarind ice cream, to the rich yolky - nutmeg intense taste of the Bebinca and the burst of sweetness from the jaggery of the Ada Pradhaman. The tamarind ice cream is the chef's own creation. After tasting the black sesame ice cream in Hong Kong, the wasabi ice cream at a local Asian restaurant, it was lovely to try out an ice cream made using a very Indian ingredient like Tamarind. The bebinca is a multi-layered 'cake' made in Goa and Ada Pradhaman, of course is a Kerala sweet-dish made for all festive occasions.

It was a lovely evening, sitting outdoors, aromas of food wafting around us and sated with some good food and conversations. Chef Thimmaiah was a pleasure to interact with and discuss all things food with us foodbloggers. The only thing missing was a warm shawl around my shoulders as the even turned really chilly.

The outdoor section, softly lit is quite perfect for a romantic evening. Even better if you are a seafood lover.

Karavalli
66, Ground floor, The Gateway Hotel, Residency Road.
Phone: 080-66604545


[Pictures courtesy: Saina Jayapal - Pixel Platters]

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The recipe for my best salad ever - Grilled paneer salad with edible flowers

I love cooking for friends. They bring out the best dishes from my kitchen. Ajit & Nandini are always generous with their praise for my salads, often telling me to either open a salad bar or start taking salad making classes. While I've done neither, I love to up my game when I'm making salads for them. You see the effect of positive reinforcement right there :-)

Last weekend, they were planning to get an Asian starter and main course for dinner, so I promised to make an Asian inspired salad. I had made up my mind to use the edible flowers from my garden. Edible flowers are quite the current culinary rage with chefs using them as garnishes in salads, drinks to making whole dishes using them. I wanted to use the beans flowers, rocket flowers, basil flowers along with the baby leaves of Malabar spinach, cinnamon basil (tastes similar to Thai basil), regular spinach and baby bok choy leaves.

I collected the flowers in a little bowl, soaked them in cold water to refresh them and dried them on a tea towel. The baby leaves were washed delicately in cold water and dried on towels. The bigger lettuce, rocket leaves were washed, chopped into bite sized pieces and dried on towels. So yes, salads mean more work than other dishes. Leaves need to be carefully washed and dried, which is half the battle won. You could say that a salad spinner could simply this process so much. I whole heartedly agree, but somehow I haven't got myself one yet. I guess this is why salads are so overpriced in fine dining restaurants - the work that goes into the leaves.



And yes, I used paneer in this salad. Purists can turn up their noses saying "HUH Paneer in an Asian salad"! But hey, it's better to use paneer instead of not-so-good tofu and marinated in Asian flavours, it could beat the pants off any tofu.

Grilled paneer salad with edible flowers
Serves 4-5

Salad ingredients
6 big handfuls of mixed salad greens (prepared as explained above- baby leaves left whole & bigger leaves chopped into bite size)
1 large green bell pepper, very thinly sliced
1 small onion or 3 shallots, finely sliced
2 small carrots, peeled and thinly shaved
2 plums, thinly sliced
200 grams paneer, sliced thickly into 8 long pieces

Edible flowers (optional)
Coriander flowers, beans flowers, rocket flower, basil flowers - soak in cold water, drain and dry on towels. I also used rocket pods.

Marinade for paneer
1 tsp finely grated ginger
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
big pinch of chilli flakes or chilli sauce as per taste
pinch of salt (if needed, as soy sauce has lots of salt)
2-3 lemongrass leaves, crushed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Toss all the above in a large bowl and gently toss the paneer slices in this. Keep covered for 15-30 mins.

Marinade for salad - add all the following ingredients to a jam jar and shake well until you get an evenly mixed dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey
chilli flakes
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
freshly ground black pepper

Grilling the paneer
Grease hot stove top grill pan / grill / tava. Once the pan is very hot, place the marinated paneer slices (after removing the lemon grass stalks from marinade) in a single layer, press gently with a spatula and do not disturb for 1 minute or so, until the grill marks appear. Turn and grill other side similarly. Remove from the grill pan and keep aside.

To assemble salad
Place the prepared salad greens in a large bowl. Scatter the bell pepper, carrots, plums over the leaves. Pour 3/4th of the dressing and toss gently. Arrange this on a platter. Place the grilled paneer and top with edible flowers. Pour any remaining dressing & marinade over the top.

Verdict
The paneer was the star of the dish, marinated in those Asian flavours and the stunning grill marks. The others lent an excellent supporting role and the dressing brought the whole dish together. A small note of appreciation for the cute flowers who added a lot of prettiness to the dish. We LOVED this dish and wished there was more :)

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