A great chicken curry salad recipe for potlucks or picnics. Chicken, curry powder, onion, raisins, apple and coriander. Mayonnaise optional.
Chicken Curry Salad is one of my favorite salads because it’s so easy to put together.
When I was in college, a friend gave me a box of various curry powder mixes. I think I’ve worked through the whole box over the years to make this salad.
Boil the spices to get the full curry flavor
When cooking with curry spices, it is important that the spices, or in this case the curry powder, are first “cooked” in a little olive oil and then mixed with the remaining ingredients.
The full flavor of the curry unfolds through the heat.
This salad is easy to make, the extra time allows the flavors to blend.
Chicken Curry Salad
ingredients
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2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
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Salt
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1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
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2 heaped tablespoons yellow curry powder
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1 cup raisins (soak in water while preparing)
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1 apple (tart or sweet, whichever you prefer), peeled, cored and diced
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1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (lightly wrapped only)
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2 spring onions, sliced
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1 tablespoon mayonnaise optional
method
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Fry the diced chicken breast:
Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast cubes and cook, stirring frequently, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle some salt on the chicken pieces as they cook.
Check doneness by removing the thickest piece and cutting in half. If it’s still pink in the center, continue cooking. Try not to overcook the chicken or it will become dry.
Remove the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.
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Sauté onion, curry, raisins:
Add chopped yellow onion and cook. After a few minutes, when the onions are translucent, add 2 heaping tablespoons of yellow curry powder. Cook a few minutes longer, stirring frequently.
If the curry sticks to the bottom or the mixture becomes dry, add a little more olive oil to the pan. As you stir, scrape off the stuck pieces of curry.
Add drained raisins and cook, stirring, for another minute. (If optionally adding mayonnaise, remove curry from heat and mix in mayo.)
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Add the raisin and onion mixture to the chicken:
Add the raisin and onion mixture to the chicken and mix well, brushing the chicken pieces with the curried olive oil. Refrigerate until cool. At this point you can prepare the salad per day.
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To serve, mix in the apple, scallions, and cilantro:
When ready to serve the salad, toss in the apple, scallions, and cilantro.
