Spinach Strawberry Salata

If you've read my previous post you'll know about the #FIAWinterenergizer. This is the 3rd week and yes, unfortunately I missed the second one. 

The 4 ingredients this week were 
Spinach
strawberry
garlic
corn meal

Since you all know me so well, I like to keep things as simple as possible. Healthy too if I can! And this salad is all that and so much more! 

I'm a huge fan of the spinach strawberry salad which we all love so much. This time I wanted to take it up a notch and add that somethin' somethin' to jazz it up.

The combination of flavours will make this salad a staple in your kitchen. Easy peasy here we go...

Serves: 2

Time taken: 20 mins

Complexity: **


You'll need

1/2 cup corn meal
2 tbsps rice flour
salt and pepper
1 tsp garlic powder or once clove of grated garlic
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp baking powder
oil for frying
15-20 spinach leaves (use baby spinach if you like)
strawberries, quartered
orange slices, halved
balsamic vinegar
pinch of love 

Method

In a bowl, add the corn meal

the rice flour (you can substitute with corn flour instead)

salt and pepper

in goes the garlic powder

the baking powder

some smoked paprika (you know how much I love it!!)

1/2 cup of water ( add a couple of tbsp more if required). The consistency of the batter should be like a cake batter. 

Not gloopy but thick enough to coat the spinach leaves. 

Meanwhile have your spinach leaves separated from the stems. Wash n pat dry them. 

Dunk each leaf individually to coat with the batter

Have oil heating in a shallow pan on a medium flame. 

When the oil starts to shimmer very carefully slide in the battered spinach leaves in. Be extra cautious because the spinach leaves splutter.

Take out the spinach crisps when both sides are golden brown and the leaf is crispy. Drain excess oil on a paper napkin or kitchen towel. They tasted so good that I could very easily make a snack of just these. I may or may not have sneaked in a few of these crisps while frying them.

For the salad, assemble the spinach crisps, 

toss in the quartered strawberries and the halved orange slices. Drizzle couple tbsps of balsamic vinegar reduction (heat half cup of BV over a low flame till it reduces by a third n thickens. The reduction becomes sweet and adds to the flavour of the strawberries)

Dust in your pinch of love et voila!! Salad is ready to be served! I wish I had a few basil leaves on hand, they would have definitely enhanced the flavours even more! You sure can! 

Indulge!