I have friends in Tampa who I go visit often and on a trip several month ago, one of my friends picked up some food from the local grocery store for us to snack on.  Along with the hummus, veggies and crackers, she also brought home a curried chicken salad, called Bombay Chicken, that was so good, I wanted to rub my face in it.  I can pretty much count on her picking up this salad now whenever I’m there and it’s just addicting.  The last time I was there in January, I sat down and actually dissected the salad trying to figure out what was in it.  I haven’t tried to recreate the salad myself yet but it reminded me that I had the recipe for this Bombay Chicken Salad that was just waiting to be made which has similar flavors and is, no doubt, much healthier.

Chicken grilled with curry powder and cumin is diced and added to quinoa (or couscous as the recipe calls for) and mixed with mango, golden raisins, scallions, and almonds.  The whole mixture is tossed with a light dressing made of olive oil, lemon juice, honey and more curry powder.  The warm flavors of the curry and cumin contrast perfectly with the sweet creaminess of the mango and raisins while the scallions and almonds both provide their own unique crunch.  While I made this with quinoa, this would be delicious with couscous as the recipe indicates, or even whatever your favorite rice is.  The Bombay Chicken from the grocery store in Tampa is a mayonnaise-y calorie bomb so at least I know that when I have that craving, I have this healthier dish to turn to that is just as satisfying.

      In a small bowl, combine curry powder, salt, sugar, ground cumin and black pepper. Rub onto chicken. Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add couscous and cook for 9 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water. Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Remove to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, salt, curry powder and pepper. While whisking, add oil in a thin stream.

Place couscous in a large bowl. Add mango, raisins, scallions, almonds and cubed chicken.

Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Refrigerate unless serving immediately.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Family Circle magazine