Curried Rice and Fruit Salad with Fresh Mango Dressing

The challenge for this month's edition of No Croutons Required is to make a soup or salad featuring rice. Entries will be accepted until the 20th of January. I was initially going to make a soup with wild rice, but decided on this wholesome salad that contains fruit and homemade mango chutney. I served this with a simple mung bean soup and a spicy paneer dish. My dinner guests were not disappointed. Next time I make this, I'm thinking quinoa would be a tasty substitute for the rice. I adapted this recipe from 366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans and Grains by Andrea Chesman.

Now, I just need to find the time to tidy up my cupboards that are overflowing with foodstuff. My temper flares when I cannot find the ingredients I need promptly when I am preparing a dish.

Curried Rice and Fruit Salad with Fresh Mango Dressing

2 cups of uncooked basmati rice
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
2 large shallots, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of curry powder (or a dash of asafetida, 1/2 teaspoon of ground mustard powder, 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds, 2 fresh chilies, seeded and finely chopped, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom, pinch of saffron, freshly cracked black pepper, 3 tablespoons of dried fenugreek leaves)
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon of sea salt
3 2/3 cups of vegetable stock

2 apples, diced
1 1/2 cups of crushed pineapple, well drained
1/2 cup of dried apricots, diced
1/3 cup of coconut
1/4 cup of fresh mint, finely chopped
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

For the dressing:
2/3 cup of mango chutney
juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons of honey

Rinse the rice well in a fine strainer. Transfer to bowl, cover with water, swish it around a few times, drain and repeat until the water is relatively clear and no longer cloudy. Drain, cover with water and soak the rice for about 20 minutes or longer. Drain and set aside to air dry for 15 minutes or so.

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots, garlic, ginger, curry powder, rice and salt. Stir and fry for a few minutes. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer until the rice is tender - roughly 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, let sit for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork and let cool.

For the dressing, whisk together the mango chutney, lemon juice, oil and honey in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the rice, apples, pineapple, apricots, coconut, mint and cilantro. Gently toss the dressing into the salad and season with more salt and pepper if desired.

Serves 6 - 8.

More salads from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you are sure to enjoy:
Greek Salad
Caesar Salad
Wild Rice and Asparagus Salad
Quinoa Spinach Salad with Feta, Pomegranate and Toasted Almonds

On the top of the reading stack: Ottolenghi: The Cookbook

Audio Accompaniment: Dr. Andrew Weil's Mind-Body Toolkit