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The first time I ate this rice was at a park potluck picnic.  A number of families gathered with our very small children trying to eek out some semblance of a dinner party  while our children ran wild over, under, and around the play structure.  It truly is the perfect potluck dish- full of interesting flavors and textures, stays well at room temperature, and is quite easy to whip up in advance.  Since that night, this dish has become my secret weapon.  It starred at not one, but three baby showers that I threw over the last few years, pairing beautifully with an Asian chicken salad.  It has also been a hit at multiple potlucks.

Curried Mango Rice with Cashews could not be easier to make.  Cook up some brown rice and let it cool.  Mix together a dressing with curry paste and lime juice.  Then toss it all together with diced mango, toasted cashews, and crunchy pepitas (pumpkin seeds).  Since the dressing is not cooked, it is important to use curry paste, instead of dry curry.  The paste has been cooked a bit in oil in advance.  Regarding the mango, this time of year it is easy to find fresh mangos in the market, but to save time or make this out of season, look for mango chunks in the freezer section.  We buy them at Trader Joe’s to make in this rice and add to smoothies or oatmeal.

Curried Mango Rice with Cashews

Serves 6

2 cups long grain brown rice

4 cups water

1 3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups diced mango

1 cup thinly sliced green onion

3/4 cup roasted cashews

4 tablespoons roasted pepitas

cilantro and lime for garnish

Cook rice with the water and salt until just tender.  Let cool.  (This can be done a day ahead).  Toss the rice with the mango, green onion, cashews, pepitas, and curry lime dressing.  Check the seasoning and add salt as necessary.  Garnish with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.  Serve.

Note:   If you are making this in advance, toss the salad with the dressing, but leave the cashews and pumpkin seeds out until the last minute.  This allows the rice to absorb the flavors of the dressing and prevents the nuts and seeds from becoming soggy.

curry lime dressing

2 teaspoons curry paste (not powder- available in Asian section of market)

Juice and zest of 2 limes

6 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Mix the curry paste with the lime zest and juice.  Whisk in the olive oil.  Stir in the cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper.

Print this recipe:  Curried Mango Rice with Cashews

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