British-Indian Curried Chicken Salad with Mango Chutney, Apple and Raisins

Name: British-Indian Curried Chicken Salad with Mango Chutney, Apple and Raisins
Prep time: 23 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 29 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1½ lb (680 g) cooked chicken breast or boneless chicken meat, skin and bones removed, chilled, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes (about 4½ cups); 1 medium (about 6 oz) (180 g) crisp apple, such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Granny Smith, unpeeled, cored, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice (about 1 cup); 1 large rib (60 g) celery rib, thinly sliced; 2 whole (30 g) scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced; ⅓ cup (50 g) raisins or golden raisins; ¼ cup (28 g) sliced almonds; 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems finely chopped (optional); 4 tsp (8 g) mild or medium curry powder; 2 tsp (10 ml) neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola; ⅔ cup (150 g) mayonnaise; ⅔ cup (160 g) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, cold, stirred smooth; 4 tbsp (80 g) mango chutney, any large mango pieces chopped small; 4 tsp (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) (20 ml) fresh lemon juice, divided: 1 tsp (5 ml) for the apple, the remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) for the dressing; ¾ tsp (4½ g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ¼ tsp (½ g) black pepper, freshly ground

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender chicken in a creamy, gently spiced dressing of toasted curry powder, mayonnaise, yogurt and mango chutney, with sweet raisins, crisp apple and celery, and toasted almonds. Lightly tangy, mildly hot and ideal for sandwiches, jacket potatoes or piling onto lettuce.

Prep: 23 min
Cook: 6 min
Wait: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 29 min
Makes: About 7½ cups (6 servings of about 1¼ cups each)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the salad
1½ lb (680 g) cooked chicken breast or boneless chicken meat, skin and bones removed, chilled, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes (about 4½ cups)
1 medium (about 6 oz) (180 g) crisp apple, such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Granny Smith, unpeeled, cored, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice (about 1 cup)
1 large rib (60 g) celery rib, thinly sliced
2 whole (30 g) scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
⅓ cup (50 g) raisins or golden raisins
¼ cup (28 g) sliced almonds
2 tbsp (8 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems finely chopped (optional)
For the dressing
4 tsp (8 g) mild or medium curry powder
2 tsp (10 ml) neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola
⅔ cup (150 g) mayonnaise
⅔ cup (160 g) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, cold, stirred smooth
4 tbsp (80 g) mango chutney, any large mango pieces chopped small
4 tsp (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) (20 ml) fresh lemon juice, divided: 1 tsp (5 ml) for the apple, the remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) for the dressing
¾ tsp (4.5 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper, freshly ground

Equipment (8)

Large mixing bowl (at least 3-quart / 3-liter)
Medium bowl for the dressing (at least 1-quart / 1-liter)
Small bowl for tossing the apple
Small skillet (8-inch / 20 cm)
Cutting board and chef's knife
Measuring cups and spoons
Rubber spatula
Plastic wrap or airtight container

Steps

Before you start

Times assume the chicken is already cooked and chilled. You need about 1½ lb (680 g) of cooked meat off the bone. Roasted or rotisserie chicken (skin removed) works well.
To cook chicken from scratch: simmer about 1¾ lb (800 g) boneless, skinless breasts in gently bubbling salted water for 12 to 18 minutes until they reach 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part. Cool, then refrigerate until cold. Allow extra time for this; it isn't included in the times above.
Allow 1 hour of chilling. The flavors blend and the raisins plump as the salad sits, so don't skip it.
Use a mild or medium Madras-style curry powder. Hot blends can overwhelm the fruit and chutney.
If your chutney has large chunks of mango, chop them small so every bite is evenly flavored.

1
Cube the chicken
- Pat the cooked chicken dry with paper towels, then cut it into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes.
- Place in a large mixing bowl and refrigerate while you prepare everything else, so it stays cold and firm.
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Ready when: Pieces are uniform and about the size of a hazelnut, with no stringy or large chunks.
Tip: Dry chicken is key. Surface moisture waters down the dressing.
2
Toast the almonds
- Put the sliced almonds in a dry 8-inch (20 cm) skillet over medium-low heat.
- Stir or shake the pan constantly for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Tip them onto a plate to cool.
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Ready when: Almonds are light golden at the edges and smell nutty.
Tip: Move them to a plate right away. Residual heat in the pan will keep browning them.
3
Bloom the curry powder
- Return the skillet to medium-low heat and add the oil.
- When it shimmers, about 20 seconds, add the curry powder and stir constantly for 30 to 45 seconds.
- Scrape it into the medium dressing bowl and leave it to cool while you prep the vegetables in the next step (about 5 minutes).
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Ready when: The spice smells toasty and fragrant and looks like a loose paste; it should not look dark or smell scorched.
Tip: Don't walk away. Curry powder burns in seconds and turns bitter.
4
Prep the vegetables
- While the curry paste cools, thinly slice the celery and scallions and finely chop the cilantro, if using.
- Set them aside near the large bowl.
- Leave the apple whole for now.
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Ready when: Celery and scallion slices are thin and even so each forkful has a bit of everything.
5
Mix the dressing
- To the cooled curry paste (it should feel barely warm or room temperature), add the mayonnaise, yogurt, chopped chutney, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the lemon juice, the salt and the pepper.
- Measure out 1 teaspoon of lemon juice separately and set it aside for the apple.
- Whisk or stir with a spatula until completely smooth with no streaks of yogurt or lumps of spice.
- This makes about 1⅔ cups (400 ml) of dressing.
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Ready when: The dressing is a uniform golden color, thick but spoonable, and tastes bright, sweet and gently spiced.
Tip: Mix in the paste only once it has cooled, so the yogurt and mayonnaise stay cold and don't split.
6
Cut and dress the apple
- Core the apple and cut it into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice, leaving the skin on.
- Right away, toss the pieces in a small bowl with the reserved 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon juice.
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Ready when: Apple pieces are even and glisten with lemon juice, with no browned edges.
Tip: Cutting the apple last and tossing it at once in lemon juice keeps it from browning.
7
Combine the salad
- Scrape the dressing over the chilled chicken.
- Add the apple, celery, scallions and raisins.
- Fold gently with a spatula for about 1 minute until everything is evenly coated.
- Hold back the almonds and cilantro.
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Ready when: No dry chicken or pockets of plain dressing remain, and the salad looks creamy but not soupy. It should make about 7½ cups.
Tip: Fold rather than stir hard, or the chicken will shred into mush.
8
Chill to blend
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap pressed on the surface or transfer to an airtight container.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.
- If you want to hold it longer, see Make ahead.
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Ready when: The salad is cold throughout, and the raisins look plump.
9
Season and serve
- Stir the salad and taste.
- Add up to ¼ teaspoon more salt, or a few drops of lemon juice, if it tastes flat.
- If it has thickened too much, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of cold water or yogurt.
- Fold in the toasted almonds and cilantro just before serving.
- Serve about 1¼ cups per person in sandwiches, on lettuce cups, or on baked potatoes.
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Ready when: The salad tastes balanced: creamy, tangy, sweet, and mildly spicy.
Tip: Adding the almonds last keeps them crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Toasting the curry powder in oil is the step that separates a rounded, mellow flavor from a raw, dusty one.
Taste the dressing before adding it to the chicken. Chutneys vary in sweetness and salt, so adjust with lemon juice or salt then.
For a lighter salad, replace half the mayonnaise with extra yogurt and add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt.
For neat sandwiches, drain the salad briefly in a sieve if it releases liquid after chilling.

Make ahead

The salad can be assembled and chilled for up to 4 hours as written. To hold it longer (up to 24 hours), mix the chicken, celery, scallions, raisins and dressing, and refrigerate them covered. Keep the diced apple (tossed in lemon juice) in a separate covered container and fold it in with the almonds and cilantro just before serving, so the apple stays crisp and the salad doesn't turn watery. Toast the almonds up to 3 days ahead and store airtight at room temperature.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days; the apple and celery soften and the salad loosens over time, so stir before serving (and drain briefly if watery). Keep it at room temperature no longer than 2 hours. Freezing is not recommended because the mayonnaise and yogurt separate and the apple turns mushy. No reheating is needed; serve cold.

Substitutions

plain whole-milk Greek yogurt → Sour cream or additional mayonnaise. Sour cream gives similar tang. All mayonnaise gives a richer, less tangy salad.
raisins or golden raisins → Chopped dried apricots or sultanas. Use the same weight; chop apricots to raisin size.
sliced almonds → Toasted cashews or pistachios, chopped. Use the same amount, and add at the end.
crisp apple, such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Granny Smith → Seedless red grapes, halved. Use about 1 cup (150 g). They add juiciness and don't brown, so skip the lemon juice toss.