Turmeric Rice and Chicken Salad

by becky
Created
From the cookbook America's Test Kitchen: More Meditteranean

Ingredients

  • 1 cup long-grain white or jasmine rice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus salt for cooking rice
  • 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 t ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Pinch ground cinnamon
  • 6 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 2 Persian cucumbers, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
  • 3 radishes, trimmed, quartered, and sliced thin
  • 1 cup torn fresh cilantro, dill, parsley, or mint
  • 1/2 cup Garlic Yogurt Sauce (this page)
  • 1 cup torn fresh cilantro, dill, parsley, or mint
  • 1/2 cup garlic yogurt sauce:
  • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 1 T chopped fresh mint
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

  1. cook and chop chicken.
  2. cook rice.
  3. Microwave oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and cinnamon in medium bowl until simmering and fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Let cool slightly, then whisk in lemon juice and salt.
  4. Combine rice, dressing, chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and cilantro in large bowl and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with yogurt sauce.
  5. Garlic yogurt sauce: Combine rice, dressing, chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and cilantro in large bowl and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with yogurt sauce.

Notes

  1. To cook rice, bring 2 cups of water to a boiler, add salt (+ 1T butter optional) and allow butter to melt if using. When water has returned to a boil stir in rice and allow to return to a light boil. Stir again, cover the pot, and turn the heat down to low. Keep the rice simmering slightly and the pot covered. Start checking if the rice is tender and all liquid absorbed after about 17-25 minutes. After turning off heat, let sit before a couple minutes before fluffing and letting rest
  2. Bake chicken breast for 15-18 minutes at 450F. Internal temperature should be 150 out of the oven (it will rise to 165 while resting).