Curried Rice Salad

I made this side dish to bring to a going away tiki party. A couple of my friends (coworkers) will be moving to brazil for a teaching opportunity. I am so VERY jealous of these girls, but I am also so happy for them. I can only imagine all that they are going to experience, and hopefully I will be able to visit one day. I'm going to miss them!

I was unsure what to bring to the party, because I knew it was going to be outside, and I was sure all the normal potato salads, etc. were covered. I sort of threw this recipe together and was quite happy with it. The spiciness of the curry, with the cool yogurt and sweet raisins made this a great (and healthy, yay!) dish to bring to an outdoor party.

This recipe could probably make 15-20 servings (maybe even more) so feel free to scale it to your preference.

Curried Rice Salad

2 Cups Basmati rice

2 Tbs. canola oil

4 1/4 cups chicken stock (I used homemade)

1 1/2 cup diced celery

1 cup diced onion

1 1/2 cup diced carrots

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup sliced unsalted toasted almonds

1 cup rasins (any type will do, I think golden would be nice but I used regular)

1 1/2 cup fat free yogurt

2 Tbs. curry powder (or to your taste)

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garam marsala

salt and pepper

Heat a large sauce pan over med. heat and add canola oil. Add onions and saute until they are transluscent. Add rice and toast about 2-4 minutes. Add stock bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat and cook for 20-25 minutes. When rice is almost fully cooked add peas and stir. Let peas cook through (a couple minutes) and take pot off burner. Transfer rice to a fine mesh colander and rinse under cold water until rice is slightly cold. Shake out excess water and transfer to a large bowl.

In a seperate bowl, add yogurt and spices. Mix together well and add to rice. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and chill up to an hour.