Kyunki Karishma Tanna Bhi Loves A Great Salad
Image Credit: Karishma Tanna is a huge fan of salads

If you follow Indian television at all, you know Karishma Tanna. Starting her career with the iconic Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahut Thi, Karishma has been a mainstay on Indian television for over two decades now. She’s also a dedicated fitness enthusiast whose fitness routines and reels are very much goals territory. Aerial yoga? Spinning? Good old cardio? We’ve seen Karishma ace all these. But that does not mean she doesn’t like to appreciate the finer things that come on a plate.

On Instagram, she recently posted photos of some delicious-looking puff pastry desserts and a very refreshing barley salad with pomegranate, corn, and zucchini that looked as beautiful as we bet it tasted. Taking inspiration from Karishma Tanna and her fitness, we decided to give you a quick look at three of our favorite, easy-to-put-together salads. Trust us, it tried our willpower enough to not lean into the puff pastry desserts. (We’ll be sure to come back to them next week, don’t worry.) But here are two of our favourite salads. Try them at home!

HALLOUMI AND BEET SALAD WITH POMEGRANATE AND DILL

This salad has its dil in the right place. Also, what a colorful bowl of deliciousness this is. We are huge fans of halloumi around here. And what better way to incorporate some charred and grilled halloumi into your life than this? We know you want to. Sara Buenfeld’s excellent recipe is as easy to put together as it is easy on the eye.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 4 handfuls arugula leaves 
  • 2 cooked beetroots, chopped
  • Neutral oil or extra virgin olive oil for frying
  • 80g thinly sliced halloumi, slices halved – grilled if you would like  
  • 100 g pomegranate seeds 
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
  • mint leaves 
  • few sprigs of chopped dill 

Method

  • Put the sliced onions in a bowl, add the vinegar, and toss well. Cut the peel and pith from the orange, then segment over the onion bowl to make sure that you catch any juice.
  • Pile the rocket onto plates and dot over the beetroot. Rub a drop of oil around a non-stick frying pan, then fry the halloumi in the pan for about 30 seconds on each side until golden. Or grill them if that’s how you prefer them.
  • Stir the pomegranate into the onions and spoon this and all the dressing over the rocket, then top with the halloumi and scatter with the pumpkin seeds, mint, and dill.

PESTO CHICKEN PINE NUT SALAD

Picture credits - Unsplash

 

We don’t know about you. But a plate full of different green shades sure makes us very happy. What’s not to love about a salad that incorporates some of our favorites and some of the healthiest things out there? Anna Glover’s recipe for this excellent salad goes hand in glove with all your fitness goals.

Ingredients:

  • 50g couscous 
  • 2 tablespoons pesto
  • 2 tablespoons fat-free yogurt
  • 2 cooked skinless chicken breasts, shredded, or 200g leftover roast chicken, shredded
  • ½ small bunch of basil, leaves picked and torn, plus a few small leaves to serve 
  • ½ cucumber, chopped 
  • 2 sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
  • 2 heads of lettuce, leaves separated
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Method

  • Put the couscous in a large heatproof bowl and cover with 100ml boiling water. Add 1 tablespoon of pesto and mix well. Cover and leave for 8 minutes. 
  • Fluff the couscous with a fork, then stir in the rest of the pesto, the yogurt, and some seasoning. Toss in the chicken, basil, cucumber, and tomatoes. 
  • Spoon the couscous mix into the lettuce leaves and eat with your fingers, or serve over the lettuce like a salad. Scatter over the pine nuts and more basil before serving.

The weekend is almost upon us. These salads would also make an excellent side dish on your Sunday brunch menu. Try them out and tell us what you think!