Warm Kala Chana and Paneer Salad
A modern warm salad: kala chana and tawa-seared paneer tossed with crunchy vegetables, roasted pumpkin seeds and a lemon-chaat masala dressing. A complete dinner in a bowl, no staple needed.
- Region
- Modern (North Indian chaat flavours)
- Status
- Modern recipe — no traditional claim
- Diet label
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Time
- Soak 8 h · Cook 25 min (or 15 min with cooked chana)
- Serves
- 2 (one large bowl each)
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Good for
- Quick dinner, lower-carbohydrate evenings, lunch box
- Tags
- High protein · Quick (with cooked chana) · High fibre · Lower-carbohydrate · Soy-free · Whey-free · Gluten-free · No added sugar
- Allergens
- Milk
Nutrition (estimated)
- Calories
- 350 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 14 g
Headline values are per serving, as written.
| kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Total sugars | Protein per 100 kcal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salad bowl (complete meal) | 350 | 20 g | 28 g | 17 g | 6 g | 14 g | 8 g | 6.0 g |
High protein. IFCT 2017 has no lettuce or pumpkin-seed entry; spinach and sunflower seeds are used as the nearest equivalents. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Ingredients
- 80 g kala chana, dry (about 200 g cooked) · 100 g full-fat paneer, in 1.5 cm cubes
- 100 g cucumber · 80 g tomato · 40 g onion · 60 g capsicum, all diced · 50 g lettuce or baby spinach
- 10 g roasted pumpkin seeds · 2 tbsp mint and coriander
- Dressing: 8 g groundnut or cold-pressed mustard oil · 2 tbsp lemon juice · 1 tsp chaat masala · ½ tsp roasted cumin · ¼ tsp black salt · pinch of chilli flakes
Method
- Soak kala chana 8 hours; pressure-cook with 400 ml water and a pinch of salt for 5–6 whistles until tender. Drain.
- Sear paneer cubes on a dry non-stick tawa for 1 minute per side until golden.
- Warm the chana in the same pan for 2 minutes with a pinch of chaat masala.
- Whisk the dressing.
- Toss greens and vegetables with half the dressing. Top with warm chana and paneer, the remaining dressing, pumpkin seeds and herbs. Serve immediately.
Protein optimisation
- Paneer supplies 9 g per serving, kala chana 7.5 g, pumpkin seeds 1.5 g, vegetables 1.5 g.
- Boost: add 50 g sprouted moong (steamed) per bowl (+3.5 g protein, +40 kcal).
- Lighter: low-fat paneer saves about 35 kcal and 5 g fat per serving.
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional: Delhi chana chaat — add a spoon of tamarind chutney and boiled potato (adds about 70 kcal).
- Substitution: kabuli chana, rajma or tofu.
- Storage: chana and paneer keep 3 days refrigerated; dress just before eating.
- Food safety: keep paneer chilled until searing; pack dressing separately for lunch boxes.
- Meal prep: excellent.
Nutrition values are estimates calculated from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and typical product labels. They have not been laboratory-analysed and will vary with your ingredients, brands and cooking. Recipes are for healthy adults and are general information only, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or qualified dietitian. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, cooking for children, have food allergies, or live with kidney disease, diabetes or any other medical condition, please take professional advice about your diet. From the collection Protein-Rich India by Dr. Shantanu Deshpande · drshantanudeshpande.com