Delia Smith Spiced Brown Rice Salad Recipe

If you need a salad for a Christmas buffet that you can make the day before and not think about again, this is the one. Delia Smith’s spiced brown rice salad with nuts and seeds from her Happy Christmas book uses brown basmati rice dressed in a curry-spiked vinaigrette with pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, currants, and chopped vegetables, serving 8 to 10 and sitting happily in the fridge overnight.

The curry powder in the dressing surprised me because it is not a curry dish at all, just a warm background note that makes the rice taste more interesting than a plain vinaigrette would. Delia knows what she is doing: the spice ties together the nuts, fruit, and vegetables without any one flavour taking over.

More Salad Recipes:

• Brown Rice Salad
• Pesto Rice Salad
• Coronation Chicken

How Is This Different From Delia’s Basic Rice Salad?

The basic brown rice salad from the Complete Cookery Course uses a simple vinaigrette with walnuts and currants. This one adds Madras curry powder and mustard to the dressing, swaps the walnuts for pecans and pistachios, and throws in pumpkin seeds for crunch.

The basic version is an everyday salad. This one is built for a party table where you want colour and texture that catches the eye.

Spiced Brown Rice Salad Ingredients

The Rice:

• 275ml brown basmati rice, measured in a glass jug
• 570ml boiling water
• 1 dessertspoon of olive oil

The Extras:

• 3 spring onions (scallions), chopped small, including the green parts
• 5cm piece of cucumber, chopped small, no need to peel
• 2 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped small
• 1 small green pepper (capsicum), deseeded and chopped small
• 1 red apple, cored and chopped small, no need to peel
• 40g currants
• 15g pumpkin seeds
• 25g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
• 25g shelled pistachio nuts

The Spiced Dressing:

• 1 small clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of mustard powder
• 1 dessertspoon of Madras curry powder
• 2 dessertspoons of white wine vinegar
• Freshly milled black pepper
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

How To Make Delia Smith Spiced Brown Rice Salad

1. Cook the rice: Heat the dessertspoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the rice and toss to coat the grains. Add salt, pour in the boiling water, bring to a gentle simmer, stir once, cover, and cook for about 40 minutes until tender.
2. Make the dressing: Crush the garlic with the salt in a pestle and mortar. Add the mustard powder and curry powder, then the vinegar and black pepper. Work them together, add the olive oil, and whisk thoroughly.
3. Toast the pecans: Preheat the grill. Spread the pecans on a baking tray and toast under the grill for 2 to 3 minutes. Watch them closely because they burn fast.
4. Dress while warm: Transfer the cooked rice to a large salad bowl. While still warm, mix in the dressing gently without breaking up the grains. Leave to cool completely.
5. Add everything else: Once cold, mix in all the prepared vegetables, apple, currants, and pumpkin seeds. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
6. Serve: Sprinkle the toasted pecans and pistachios on top. Cover and chill until needed.

Do Not Add the Vegetables While the Rice Is Hot

Delia is clear about this: dress the rice warm, but let it cool completely before adding the chopped vegetables and fruit. Hot rice wilts the spring onions and softens the apple and cucumber.

I rushed it once and the whole salad turned into a warm mush. The crunch of cold vegetables against the soft, spiced rice is the whole point of this dish.

What To Serve This With

Delia puts this on a Christmas buffet table, and it sits well next to the coronation chicken because the curry notes in both recipes complement each other. Add a coleslaw and you have three different textures and colours.

It also works at summer barbecues. The spiced dressing stands up to grilled meats better than a plain vinaigrette.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 240 kcal
• Fat: 14g
• Carbohydrates: 24g
• Fibre: 3g
• Protein: 5g

Nutrition is estimated per serving based on 8 servings.

You Might Also Like:

• Red Rice Salad
• Potato Salad
• Fruit Salad