Watermelon and Halloumi Salad

mayurisjikoni

7 years ago

EVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP

THEME: #197 GET IN SHAPE

The #197th theme for FoodieMonday/Bloghop group, Get in Shape is nothing to do about us getting into shape with some healthy diet or workout. However, as Kalyani suggested, its all about presenting food in a geometrical fashion. Kalyani blogs at Sizzling Buds. Her blog is full of vegetarian recipes and many are vegan. Her endeavor to present world cuisine in a more healthier manner for her family is commendable.

When the theme was suggested, I got excited. I would have loved to bake a bread or tart to really give due credit to this theme (you know the type where slices are arranged in concentric circle or even or semi circles on a square pie), but limited resources meant I had to think of something a bit more doable in my son’s small kitchen. My son and daughter in law have just moved to their new home so they have limited utensils, crockery, equipment in the kitchen.

A fully blown discussion took place with family as to what I should make. I’ve not had any of the members taking so much interest in any of the themes before.

Pies was high on the list, then creating a noughts and crosses game, making shaped rotis.

Finally the ‘boss’ that is me, made the final call. I’ve always wanted to try a halloumi and watermelon salad. When I went grocery shopping, the red watermelon caught my attention, but they didn’t have a yellow one. Yes yellow watermelons exist and they taste equally sweet. I just mentioned that I wish I had a yellow one too and lo behold my son comes back home with a big yellow watermelon. That’s when the idea to stack alternate colors came about.

While I was getting ready to start on my ambitious project of getting perfect circles using a glass tumbler, guess who more or less takes over? My son! I felt like a trainee under a head chef, rounds are not perfect, why are slices of halloumi uneven, etc etc.

I know I’ve not ventured out to present a very artistic geometrical shaped food but this recipe is going to be really close to my heart as my family took so much interest in how I should make it and my son helping to cut the round shapes with so much patience….which I lack totally.

Mt. Agung view from the terrace of the new home

Master Chef teaching the trainee, that is me!

WATERMELON AND HALLOUMI SALAD

Serves 4

8 round slices of yellow watermelon

8 round slices of red watermelon

12 thin squares of halloumi cheese ( I used about 200g)

½ tsp zaatar

few fresh basil leaves

For chopped salad:

1½ cups diced yellow watermelon

1½ cups diced red watermelon

1 cup diced grilled halloumi cheese

½ tsp zaatar

6-7 big basil leaves, finely chopped

Preparation for the stacked salad:

Cut the halloumi into 12 squares, the thickness depending on how your halloumi cheese is shaped.
Heat a non stick frying or grill pan over high heat.
Place the cut halloumi on the pan and let it cook on one side for about a minute.
Turn the pieces over using a small spatula or knife. Let it cook for a minute and then remove the cheese from the pan.
Place the grilled cheese pieces on a plate.
Cut about 4 big slices of watermelon both yellow and red.
Using a cookie cutter or a glass cut 8 roundels of each colour.
Stack alternate layer of 4 watermelon roundels and 3 halloumi square.
Top it with a basil leaf.
Sprinkle zaatar over it and serve.
For a nice cool salad for the hot season, chill the watermelon roundels.

Preparation of the chopped version:

Mix the watermelon cubes, diced halloumi, chopped basil and zaatar.
Serve it chilled.

Tips:

To enjoy it as a cool summer salad, chill the water melon.
I used up the leftover watermelon pieces to make a chopped salad and some fresh juice.
No need to add salt in this salad as halloumi is salty.
No need to add any oil too.

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