Curried Chicken Salad
This is such a beautiful and refreshing chicken salad. There are many variations of this. Everytime I make this it is a bit different the most request sandwich in my house!
This is such a beautiful and refreshing chicken salad. There are many variations of this. Everytime I make this it is a bit different the most request sandwich in my house!
- salt to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 small red onion finely chopped
- 3 teaspoons curry powder
- 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts thawed
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise or more if needed
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt or use sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon honey or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or more to taste
- 1 whole mango , firm peeled and chopped
- 1 cup red seeless grapes halved
- 1/2 cup cashew, dry-roasted salted roughly chopped
- Carbohydrate 77.2145866953444 g
- Cholesterol 63.601755 mg
- Fat 80.346112125 g
- Fiber 2.18706247253052 g
- Protein 8.35303187498305 g
- Saturated Fat 11.9799025 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (909g)
- Sodium 3572.34497499977 mg
- Sugar 75.0275242228139 g
- Trans Fat 4.52739277500001 g
- Calories 1034 calories
Step-by-step
- Bring 4 cups water with 2 cups chicken broth to a boil.
- Add chicken and simmer uncovered about 10 minutes.
- Remove and cover pan from heat and let stand until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- When done Chop chicken into 1/2 " cubes - cool.
- While chicken is cooling, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt or sour cream, curry, lime juice, honey ginger salt and pepper in large bowl.
- Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
- You may want to add more mayo, sour cream or yogurt or lime juice or honey, etc.....
- Add chicken, onion, mango, grapes, and cashews and stir gently to combine.
- Put onto Croissants with lettuce and avocado for an EXCELLENT sandwich.
Why is the dressing separating into an oily pool at the bottom of the bowl? This usually happens when watery produce like fresh mango and grapes are added to the dressing before excess surface moisture is blotted away with paper towels. Poaching boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a mixture of water and chicken broth rather than boiling them aggressively prevents the protein fibers from seizing and turning rubbery. Simmer the meat for precisely ten minutes before removing the pan from the heat, letting residual thermal energy finish the cooking process over fifteen minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Raw red onions possess harsh sulfur compounds that easily overwhelm subtle spices if added directly to the mixture without preparation. Mince the onion finely and rinse it under cold running water for thirty seconds, or soak the pieces in a small bowl of ice water for ten minutes to tame the pungency while retaining crunch. When incorporating the spice blend, blooming dry curry powder in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat for sixty seconds awakens fat-soluble aromatic compounds before whisking them into the mayonnaise and yogurt base.
Maintaining textural contrast relies entirely on timing and the order of operations within the bowl. Soft ingredients like fruit and tender poultry will absorb moisture and soften over hours, while dry-roasted salted cashews contribute a brittle crunch that breaks down rapidly if soaked too long. Fold the nuts in just twenty minutes before service to preserve their structural integrity, or keep them in a separate container and garnish individual portions immediately prior to eating.
Storage limitations dictate how far in advance this dish can be prepared safely in a home kitchen. Because mayonnaise and dairy bases spoil quickly at ambient temperatures, transfer the finished mixture to an airtight glass container and refrigerate it at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit within two hours of assembly. Consuming the salad within forty-eight hours prevents the fruit from breaking down entirely and releasing unwanted liquid into the dressing.
