South African Curry Noodle Salad
A sweet and tangy South African curry noodle salad made with short pasta, red pepper, onion and a glossy curry dressing. Best made ahead for braais, BBQs and potlucks.
Ingredients
- 500 gram (1 lb 2 oz) uncooked, dry pasta fusilli, conchiglioni (pasta shells) etc
- 1 large red bell pepper chopped into small cubes
- 1 red onion roughly 180g (6.3 oz), finely chopped
- 200 millilitre (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) tomato sauce
- 100 millilitre (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) white vinegar like white wine vinegar
- 100 millilitre (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) oil like olive, sunflower or vegetable oil
- 180 millilitre (¾ cup) granulated sugar or 160g
- 5 teaspoons mild curry powder 25ml
- 3 tablespoons fruit chutney 45ml, like Mrs Ball's Peach Chutney
- Tabasco to taste
- black pepper to taste to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the packet instructions. Don’t overcook it, as it will continue to soften slightly once mixed with the curry dressing.500 gram (1 lb 2 oz) uncooked, dry pasta
- Drain the pasta well in a colander, then leave it to steam-dry for a few minutes. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
- Finely chop the red bell pepper and onion.1 large red bell pepper, 1 red onion
- In a separate bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar, curry powder, chutney, Tabasco and black pepper until well combined.200 millilitre (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) tomato sauce, 100 millilitre (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) white vinegar, 100 millilitre (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) oil, 180 millilitre (¾ cup) granulated sugar, 5 teaspoons mild curry powder, 3 tablespoons fruit chutney, Tabasco, black pepper to taste
- Add the chopped red pepper and onion to the pasta and mix well.
- Pour over most of the dressing and stir until the pasta is well coated. Add the remaining dressing if needed. You will usually use it all, but pasta shapes and brands vary, and some absorb more dressing than others.
- Cover the bowl and chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight if possible. Stir once or twice while it rests so the dressing distributes evenly and soaks into the pasta.
- Transfer the curry noodle salad to a serving dish and finish with chopped parsley, basil or coriander, if using.
Notes
Top Tips:
- Don't overcook the pasta. It should be *just* al dente and not too soft. Drain it well. It will soak up more liquid when it sits in the dressing for a while.
- When adding the sauce to the pasta, don't add it all at once at first. Stir some sauce in and see if you need more before adding the rest. Usually, you'll end up using all the sauce. It depends on how much the pasta expanded while cooking, which can vary between types and brands.
Nutrition
Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 591IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg
