Mixed Bean salad
                                  (Indian mixed Bean salad)

Mixed Bean salad is a color full protein rich high fiber and low in fat salad. It is a delicious mixture of beans and fresh vegetables tossed with spices and oil and vinegar dressing that adds a zing to your meals. Beans provide a great alternative to meat as they are a low-fat source of protein and they are inexpensive as many consider beans the “poor man’s meat”
 
Beans are the important part of Indian daily diet and mix bean salad is a tasty way to include beans in daily meals. Mix bean salad is versatile you can choose beans and vegetables of your choice and each time you toss the salad you can change the flavor to suit your taste buds, for instance, you can give it a lemony tang by sprinkling lemon juice on it or make it zesty with balsamic vinegar or olive oil and vinegar dressing, It's up to you!

Canned Beans are easy to use, time-saving, and are readily available in all the grocery stores. In contrast, dried beans cooked at home are inexpensive, easy to store, and free from all starch, preservatives, or excess salt.
For a healthier choice, it is always best to cook dry beans from scratch at home. Home Cooked beans are less mushy or overcooked. Hence, best to make a salad.

 Ingredients:

1     Cup boiled Kidney Beans
1     Cup boiled Black Eyed Peas (cowpeas)
1     Cup boiled Black Beans
1     Cup boiled Chick Peas
1     Cup boiled corn
1     Teaspoon sugar

Vegetables:

1    Cup fine chopped onions
1    Cup chopped capsicum (Green or red capsicum)
½   Cup chopped cucumber
1    Tomato chopped (remove the seeds and pulp)
¼    Cup chopped or shredded carrot   
1     Cup fine sliced cabbage
1    Tablespoon grated fresh ginger (optional)
1     Green chili or according to taste
​

Cooking measurement conversion
Measurement converter
 

Beans:

Kidney beans

Corn

Black beans

Chick peas

Black eye beans

Sugar

Vegetables:

Onion-chopped

Tomatoes-chopped

Green chili-chopped

Capsicum-chopped

Carrot- shredded

Ginger-grated

Cucumber-chopped

Cabbage-sliced

​Seasoning and dressing

1    Tablespoon Black pepper powder
 ½   Teaspoon chat masala
2     Table lemon juice
½    Cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼    Cup red or white wine vinegar
1     Tablespoon minced garlic 
½    Teaspoon of salt or to taste

Black pepper powder

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Chaat masala

Red wine vinegar

Lemon juice

Garlic-minced

Directions for dressing: 

1.   Take a separate bowl. Add extra virgin Olive oil, wine vinegar, black pepper,
     chat masala, minced garlic and lemon Juice and salt and mix.

In a bowl add all dressing ingredients

Mix all the ingredients well

Dressing for bean salad

Directions:  

1.  If using dry beans then soak Kidney Beans, Black Eyed beans, Black beans
     and Chick Peas overnight and boil them in a pressure cooker. 
 
 2.  If using canned beans then drain and rinse beans in a colander. Leave the
       beans in the colander for few minutes so that all water drains out. 

Kidney Beans, Black Eyed beans, Black beans. Chick Peas and corn

3.  If using frozen corn kernels then wash and rinse them.

​4. In a sauce pan add corn kernels.
​
​5.  Add 1 cup of water and a spoonful of sugar, cover the pan and cook for
     15 minutes or until corn is tender. (Sugar gives little sweetness to corn)

In a pan add corn kernels

Add water

Add sugar

Cover the pan & let the corn boil

6. Open the cover and check if Corn is tender.

7. Once corn is tender and there is water in the sauce pan then, transfer the
    corn in the colander and drain the water out.

Corn becomes tender

Drain the water out from corn

8. Take a big bowl, add all boiled beans and boiled corn and mix.

In a bowl add all the beans and corn

Mix beans and corn

9. In the beans add all the chopped vegetables and mix.

Add all the chopped vegetables

Mix vegetables with beans and corn

Beans and vegetables are mixed well

10.      Pour dressing over beans and vegetables and mix. 

11.     Refrigerate several hours before serving. 

12.  Prepare the salad day before your planning to serve- the flavor will blend in
      and to allow the beans to soak up the flavor of the spices and dressing. 
      If you like to spice up and add salt to your salad then add to your like.

Add salad dressing

Mix salad dressing well

Mixed bean salad

Cover the bowl and refrigerate

Mix Bean Salad

Tips:

1.  Instead of boiling the beans you could use canned beans for salad.  

2.  Remove the seeds from cucumber and tomatoes so that beans salad does not
      become watery.  

3.  If you wish instead making your own dressing buy premade Italian dressing
      or just sprinkle lemon juice and spices.  

4.   If you like to spice up the salad then you can add more green chilies or even
      crushed red chili flakes.

5.   If instead of can beans you prefer to boil dry beans, then take ½ a cup of dry
       beans and soak them overnight then boil them in pressure cooker.


Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.

Thank you

Geeta Seth

Other recipes: 

Corn salad                                                         Sprouted Moong salad

Chickpea salad                                                  Kala chana salad

Cabage salad                                                     Kachumber salad
(Indian cabbage salad)
                                                                           Corn chaat
Quinoa salad with strawberries..                        

Fruit Salad                                                          Kala chana chaat