Curry and chicken are a lovely match. This chicken salad pairs a homemade curry blend with apricots (do beware of sulfites in dried apricots if you're sensitive).
I usually use leftover chicken to make this, but you can broil or sauté chicken breasts until fully cooked if you'd like to make this from scratch. Because of the strong flavors in this dish, it will also work well with pan-fried, extra-firm tofu for those who are not sensitive to soy. Toasted almonds or pistachios are a good substitute for water chestnuts for those who are not allergic to tree nuts.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 fully cooked chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, or 2 packages extra-firm tofu, diced and pan-fried
- 1 1/4 c mayonnaise (add more if salad seems dry)
- 2/3 c diced dried apricots (about 10 to 12 whole, dried apricots)
- 1 8-oz. can water chestnuts, diced, or 1/2 c toasted slivered almonds or pistachios
- 1 T cumin seeds or ground cumin
- 1 T coriander seeds or ground coriander
- 1 T fennel seeds or ground fennel
- 1/2 T whole cardamom or ground cardamom
- 1/2 T black peppercorns or ground pepper
- salt (to taste)
Preparation:
- In a serving bowl, combine chicken, mayonnaise, apricots, and water chestnuts (or nuts). Add additional mayonnaise, if needed, to fully coat ingredients.
- If using whole spices, you can toast them, if desired. (This will bring out the flavors, but is entirely optional.) To do so, heat a small skillet over medium heat and add spices. Constantly move them in the pan until they are fragrant. Whole spices should be ground using a spice grinder, mortar and pestle, or by placing them in a plastic bag and rolling over them thoroughly with a rolling pin.
- Mix spices into the salad thoroughly. Taste for salt. Serve chilled.
Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish or appetizer salad' makes 6 to 8 sandwiches.
Note on ingredients: I've included a custom spice blend here to complement the apricots, but you can certainly use a jarred blend if you like. Be sure to read labels, however, as some do include fillers. If you want a spicier salad, look for a yellow curry powder; for a sweeter salad, try garam masala.
