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Here is another salad that doesn’t suck! Like many Indian people, I am a carb lover, and when I learned about Panzanella salads, I knew I would like it! Panzanella salad is a traditional Italian dish that originated in Tuscany. The main ingredients include stale bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and fresh basil. I kept the base of this Panzanella salad fairly traditional but added a little desi touch to it by adding spices and achaar!
I desi-fied the recipe by making vagharela croutons by tasting my bread in ghee and spices! I used fennel seeds, cumin, and coriander powder to season the croutons. Fennel and tomatoes are such a good combo, and it really added a new layer of flavor to this salad!
For the dressing, I made a vinaigrette using Brooklyn Delhi’s Tomato Achaar, which adds a deeper tomato flavor as well as some heat to the salad! You could also use ginger achaar or any achaar you have at home! I used sherry vinegar for the acid in the dressing, but you could also swap it out with red wine vinegar. I don’t recommend using lime or lemon juice, however, as it’s too acidic. I also added some kerda, or Indian pickled capers, to the salad to add a little more flavor!
Overall, this salad has TONS of flavor and texture, and it’s the perfect marriage of Indian and Italian flavors!
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Desi Style Panzanella Salad
- Total Time: 20
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A desi take on an Italian Panzanella Salad! Tons of texture and even more flavor! Makes 2-4 servings
Ingredients
VAGHARELA CROUTONS
- 2 cups crusty bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
- pinch of turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp coriander powder
- salt to taste
TOMATO ACHAAR VINAIGRETTE
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp sherry vinegar (or 1 tbsp red wine vinegar)
- 1 1/2 tsp tomato achaar (ginger achaar also works well here!)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
SALAD
- 1 1/4 cups (.5lb) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small cucumber, halved and sliced
- 1/4 cup onion, thinly sliced and soaked in cold water
- 1 tbsp kerda or capers
Instructions
- Add ghee to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel seeds and saute for 30 seconds, then add turmeric and cubed bread and mix well until the bread is well coated. Add cumin powder and coriander powder and mix well. Saute for 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, add minced garlic, and season with salt. Saute for another 1-2 minutes, ensuring the garlic doesn’t burn. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Make the dressing, add olive oil, vinegar, tomato achaar, salt, and pepper to a small jar. Close the jar and shake until well combined.
- In a mixing bowl, add the vagharela croutons, tomatoes, cucumber, drained onions, kerda or capers, and dressing. Mix well and serve.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Salad
