Posts Tagged "Curried"

Curried Couscous Salad

Posted by on Jan 11, 2011 in Fashionably Organic, Salads | 2 comments

I made this delicious curry couscous salad, adapted from my favorite chef, Giada De Laurentiis.  Most of Giada’s recipes are influenced by her native culture, Italy, but on an episode of Giada at Home, she made this tantalizing side dish that I couldn’t wait to try. I had never made nor had a salad like she made, but I was ready for the challenge. I love both couscous and curry individually, but I was very excited to pair them up in a recipe. Couscous is fabulous and curry is a spice that many of us eat, but don’t realize curry is the spice we’re tasting.

Curry is a wonderful spice used in many Indian and South Asian dishes. Curry’s popularity in recent decades has spread outward from the Indian and Asian continents and has moved into international cuisine.  Consequently, each culture has adopted spices in its aboriginal cooking to suit its own unique tastes and cultural sensibilities.  As for couscous, it is a North African dish that has become popular in recent years.  Couscous is made from two different sizes of the husked and crushed, but unground, semolina of hard wheat using water to bind them.  Similar to risotto, the key to preparing an authentic couscous is patience and care.

Cauliflower:
Olive oil cooking spray
1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup organic extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
2 cups organic low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons mild curry powder (recommended: Simply Organic’s Curry Powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (10-ounce box or bag) couscous
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, roasted cashews
1 (4-inch) piece cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large lemon, zested

Dressing:
1/3 cup organic Greek yogurt
1/4 cup organic extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons mild curry powder (recommended: Simply Organic’s Curry Powder)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cauliflower: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet liberally with olive oil cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss the cauliflower and organic olive oil together until coated. Put in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast until golden and tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Salad: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth, organic curry powder and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and allow the couscous to absorb the liquid, about 5 to 7 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and transfer it to a large serving bowl. Stir in the cooked cauliflower, cranberries, cashews, cucumber, parsley, and lemon zest. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the organic Greek yogurt, organic olive oil and organic curry powder until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Just before serving, add the dressing to the salad and toss well to coat.

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