Name: Mango and chicken salad with spicy rujak dressing
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 large skinless chicken breasts; Juice 1 small lime; 2 tbsp coconut or sunflower oil; 2 baby gem lettuces, trimmed and leaves separated; 1 unripe (green) mango, peeled and coarsely grated; 1 small pineapple, peeled, eyes removed and cut into chunks; 1 small cucumber, chopped; 1 large echalion (banana) shallot, finely sliced; 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds; 4 tbsp roasted cashews, roughly crushed (optional); 3-4 red bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped; 1 tbsp palm sugar; 5-6 tbsp tamarind paste

Mango and chicken salad with spicy rujak dressing

This vibrant mango and chicken salad by chef Petty Elliott features a spicy Indonesian rujak-style dressing and is ideal for using up leftover chicken. “This dish is inspired by a tropical fruit salad known as rujak, known for its bold flavour from the spicy, sweet and tangy tamarind dressing,” says Petty. “Rujak sauce is traditionally made with palm sugar, but I use coconut sugar instead, an easier-to-find ingredient which produces a slightly thinner texture. You can use pulled chicken from a leftover roast if you wish. It works perfectly.” A pioneer of modern Indonesian cookery, Petty honed her craft in restaurants in her homeland before relocating to the UK six years ago. She is also the founder of the spice company Rasaku. Follow Petty on Instagram. Try Petty’s recipe for Indonesian minced pork cakes with chilli and lemongrass sambal next.

Dairy-freeGluten-free

Serves4

Hands-on25 min

Oven15 min

DifficultyEasy

Method

Put the chicken between 2 sheets of baking paper and bash with a rolling pin until they’re both an even thickness. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the lime juice.
Heat half the oil in a griddle pan over a medium-high heat, fry the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side, then set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, slice into thin strips.
For the dressing, mix all the ingredients with 3-4 tbsp water and a pinch of salt. Taste and add more tamarind paste if needed.
Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter. Top with the mango, pineapple, cucumber, shallot and half the chicken. Pour over three quarters of the dressing, mix well, then add the remaining chicken along with the pomegranate seeds. Drizzle over the remaining dressing, then finish with the crushed cashews (if using).