Pan-Fried Paneer in Percik Sauce, Air Fried King Oyster Mushrooms and Kale Kerabu

Ingredients: 

• 1 Paneer, sliced into 1cm-thick slices

• 1 cup king oyster mushrooms

• A combination of greens (Kale, Romaine and Lollo Rosso), chopped

• Purple cabbage, finely sliced

• 1 Red chili, finely julienned

• Percik spice rub

• 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut

• 1/2 cup Coconut milk

• Coconut oil

• For seasoning; brown sugar, salt and pepper

Method: 

I start off by making some toasted coconut. In a clean pan over gentle heat, add the freshly grated coconut and stir it frequently till it becomes light / dark brown flakes. The darker the flakes are, the richer the flavour is. Don’t ever leave the pan unattended because you will end up with burnt flakes.

Next, the paneer and mushrooms: add 2 tbsp of percik spice rub, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of coconut oil in a bowl to form an aromatic paste. Rub the paneer and mushrooms generously with this paste. Set aside. Air fry the mushrooms to your liking;  while you pan fry the paneer in some coconut oil till the edges are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan.

Making the percik sauce is simple. Using the same pan and leftover oil from cooking the paneer, add a tablespoon of percik spice and let the spices temper. When it smells aromatic and toasty, add the coconut milk and a splash of water. While the sauce simmers, season to taste - I add a tiny pinch of brown sugar to add some sweetness to the sauce. To finish, I add 1 tsp of the toasted coconut, which will make the sauce extra flavourful.

To make the kale kerabu, place the chopped greens and veggies into a bowl and add half of the air-fried mushrooms. Drizzle the kerabu with some of the percik sauce and give it a gentle toss. If you like, a squeeze of lemon / lime juice to the kerabu will give it some freshness.

On a plate, assemble the crispy paneer with its creamy percik sauce, air-fried mushrooms and kale kerabu. For texture, top the dish with some crush roasted peanuts and more toasted coconut.