Writing in after a long time. Was busy, traveling and not cooking enough, or perhaps cooking as a chore instead and hence, perhaps, did not find it worth blogging about. Our summers have set in, albeit dotted by the occasional thunderstorm and showers, and yeah, earthquakes. And yes I do happen to land up wherever there is trouble and hence guess where I was traveling to last week among all places, Nepal. Anyhow, that is a separate post altogether, where I jot down my first impressions of the country, which little did I know may just be the last.

Coming back to the hot and humid weather in Kol, which drives me out of the kitchen on most days, I am back doing salads that I love most, and that are best done using seasonal fresh ingredients. So, mangoes have started flowing in. I got impatient and tried to pick the first ones of the season – my bad. The banganapallis still had a small way to go but I cut them up before they were there. But hey, that’s just what you need for a mango salsa, so that’s what I did to them on Day1.

Day 2 could not be the same because repeating a dish within a week is blasphemy in my almost atheistic household. However, good for me everyone loves a chicken salad. So with some imagination, the chicken and mango turned out to be an unusual match made in heaven. I had already experimented by pitting chicken against cucumber and it had worked well too!

Chicken and mango salad
Chicken and mango salad

Ingredients: (for two)

  • 1 semi ripe mango that’s good for a salsa – cubed
  • 1 cucumber – cubed
  • A breast of chicken – boiled and shredded into threads
  • Green bell pepper – Half a piece, finely cubed
  • Onion – 1 no, sliced into half rings

Dressing:

  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Olive oil – 1 tbsp
  • Rock salt – 1 tsp
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Black pepper and/or paprika powder – to taste

Method:

Emulsify the dressing ingredients together with a fork.
Arrange the chicken, chopped fruit and vegetables.
Pour over the dressing, mix well and gorge.
I served them on nachos to give them bite. It also elevates them from
a salad to a snack status.