Indian Salad

This curry-spiced pasta salad is built in layers. Shredded pork marinates for an hour in a chive and white wine vinegar vinaigrette, cucumber gets salted to draw out excess water, and elbow macaroni cooks to al dente. Everything comes together with mayo and curry powder into a cold salad that’s more interesting than your standard picnic fare.

Salting the julienned cucumber for 30 minutes is the step that separates a crisp salad from a watery one. The salt pulls moisture from the cucumber, which you then rinse and pat dry. The cucumber stays crunchy instead of weeping into the dressing and diluting it.

The vinaigrette marinade flavors the pork deeply, and the curry powder stirred in at the end ties the whole salad together with warm, earthy spice.

Kitchen Tips

• Cook the macaroni just to al dente. It continues to absorb dressing as it sits, and overcooked pasta turns mushy in a cold salad.
• Rinse the salted cucumber thoroughly. If you skip the rinse, the salad will be too salty.
• Let the finished salad chill for at least 30 minutes before serving so the curry powder distributes evenly through the mayo.

Variations

• Use cooked chicken in place of pork for a lighter protein.
• Add golden raisins for pops of sweetness that pair naturally with the curry.
• Stir in chopped roasted peanuts right before serving for crunch.