Indian Salad

A good friend of mine gave me a lovely Indian cookbook by Noorbanu Nimji called A Spicy Touch (Volume III) - a fusion of East African and Indian cuisine.  It contains many wonderful recipes and the Avocado, Mango & Almond Salad served up a treat when I was invited to friends for dinner that asked if I could bring a salad to match up with the Indian main course they had planned. The sweetness of the fruit combined with the crunch of the peppers and subtle flavour of the avocado make this salad sing.

Avocado, Mango & Almond Salad
(A Spicy Touch by Noorbanu Nimji ~ with some slight changes by me)
4 servings

Salad:
2 cups mixed salad greens (washed well and dried well)
1 mango, ripe but firm, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 green bell pepper, julienned
2 oranges, segmented
2 avocados, diced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup green onions,chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Dressing:
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Arrange the salad greens in a large, shallow bowl or serving platter.  Arrange the mangoes, bell peppers, and oranges on top of the salad greens.  Peel and chop the avocado and place in a small bowl.  Immediately cover with the lemon juice to prevent the avocados from browning.  Arrange the avocado on top of the salad and sprinkle with the green onions.

Put all of the ingredients for the salad dressing in a jar and shake well.  Pour the dressing over the salad and garnish with the toasted almonds.  (To toast slivered almonds: put the almonds on a baking tray and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Toast for about 7-10 minutes or until the nuts are a very light, golden colour shaking the pan halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and transfer to a plate until ready to use.)