A Fusion Summer Salad with Watermelon

A Fusion Summer Salad with Watermelon

I am reviewing books in every other post or so. A few months back I reviewed a few recipes from Saffron Soul by Mira Manek. Both the kidgeree and the granola were recipes I developed from this book. I want to share with you two more recipes I have developed from inspiration through reading this book. A salad recipe this week and a curry next week. Then I think it would be great if you put this book on your cookbook wish list as it’s a beauty.

What I love about Saffron Soul is that it is a fusion Indian cook book. It is the first I have seen of its kind. Most Indian cookbooks are just that; Indian cookbooks with lots of delicious traditional Indian recipes. This is a cookbook I know I will refer to often.

This book is different. Mira Manek has a different take on Indian food as she was born in the UK to Indian parents. She incorporates the Indian tastes with some ingredients that aren’t typically Indian. It works so well and her stories of how she came to love Indian food are wonderful to read. I love that she includes recipes from the different generations in her family and she makes reference to her relatives bringing a very personal touch to the cookbook.

This salad which I adapted from one of Mira’s recipes is wonderful for summer, using the light grain quinoa with the refreshing taste of watermelon and marinated onion to give it a bit of a flavour bite. The Indian spiced chutney, coconut yoghurt and the turmeric roasted sweet potato really make it a fusion Indian dish.

I am so in love with this salad that it is hard not to eat it every day. Which of course wouldn’t be a bad thing but when I eat something too often I do get tired of it. So twice a week for now.

For those of you who shy away from Watermelon due to it containing too much sugar, think again as it really is a nutritious fruit. Watermelons are great for hydration as they are 92% water. They contain vitamin A, vitamin C and lots of antioxidants and lycopene (which is great for heart health). Watermelon is fat free and for those who count calories only has 40 per cup.

If you try out this recipe can you please take a photo and share on instagram and use the tag #veets_vegan_cooking_school

Summer Watermelon Quinoa Salad

1 small red onion sliced finely*
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 small sweet potatoes (skin on and cut in 2cm pieces)
½ tsp turmeric
Splash of olive oil
200g cooked chickpeas
6 slices watermelon
1 cup coriander leaves
1 apple peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
Lime juice

Tamarind date chutney dressing

100g pitted dates chopped up
100g tamarind paste
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
Pinch ground fenugreek
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp balsamic dressing
2 tbsp filtered water
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp coconut yoghurt per person

*Place the onion in the lime juice with some salt and marinate for a good few hours. The longer the better. This stops it from giving people indigestion.

Place the sweet potato with a slosh of olive oil and ½ tsp turmeric in a baking dish. Add a few pinches of salt and mix the ingredients together and lay flat on the baking dish. Bake at 180°C for 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked.

To make the chutney; add the dates, tamarind, cumin, fenugreek and turmeric in a saucepan and bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Cool for a while and place in a blender with the tahini, water and balsamic vinegar. Adding more water if needed. Pulse until smooth.

In a bowl mix the quinoa, chickpeas, marinated onion, cooked sweet potato, apple and coriander and mix gently.

On plates place the watermelon then divide the quinoa salad. Pour on some of the dressing and serve with a tbsp of coconut yoghurt per person.

Christmas Gift Idea

If you are after more Indian recipes I have a section in my own cookbook. The recipes are easy and delicious. Thought to mention my cookbook as Christmas will be around the corner pretty soon and cookbooks make great presents. You can purchase my cookbook here.

Have a great week everyone and if you have a watermelon recipe to share I would love to see it. Please share on my facebook page.

With love and gratitude Veet

Categories:Salads Sauce/Dips

Tags:Watermelon quinoa sweet potato chickpeas Onion