Mexican Rice Bean Salad

Mexican Rice Bean Salad  

The lockdown managed to bring out the chef in us and made us AATMANIRBHAR. From feeling like a chef after making a simple Dalgona Coffee to making homemade pizza to satisfy our cravings, we did it all. Somewhere amongst these recipes we managed to neglect our health and so to compensate for our lost nutrients and to sustain the taste, I present this Recipe.

A salad with substitutes of ingredients I couldn't find due to the limitations of production. I was unable to use Avocado and Feta cheese as planned, however, the taste managed to remain near what I expected it to be. I presented this in two ways- one, the traditional bowl, and the other was a product of my daydreams of the situation post lockdown. Once the situation is safe enough for us to gather and hold parties, I would present this salad in this non conventional way. This presentation highlights the layers in the recipe. I hope, this Recipe, would bring back the nutritions we neglected while helping you imagine a post lockdown situation.

Video :  

Preparation time : 50 min

Cooking Time : 0 Min

Ingredients : 

• Rice boiled 1 Cup
• Kidney beans boiled 1 Cup (toasted with some chilly powder and garam masala)
• Sweet Corns boiled 1 cup 
• Red bell pepper 1 chopped
• Cottage cheese 100 gm crumbled 
• Lettuce 4 to 5 

Salsa Ingredients : 

• Tomato 3 medium sized finely chopped
• Onion 1 medium size finely chopped
• Coriander fresh 2 tablespoon chopped
• Mint leaves 12 to 15 
• Green chillies 1/2 tablespoon chopped or according to taste
• Lemon juice 1 1/2 Tablespoon
• Olive Oil 1 Tablespoon
• Oregano and some mixed herbs 1/2 tablespoon
• Black salt according to taste

Procedure : 

• Boil rice and keep it aside. 
• Boil kidney beans with some water and salt. Once it is cooked remove the water. In a pan just add 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil add chilly powder, garam masala and kidney beans, toast it for 2 to 3 minutes. This toss will give some Indian touch to our salad. Beans will be little bit spicy.

• Let's prepare our salsa. Finish all cutting and chopping. In a bowl add chopped tomatoes, onion, green chilly, coriander, mint leaves, salt, herbs, olive oil, lemon juice and mix all well. Keep it aside for at-least 20 minutes, so that all the flavours get mixed together nicely . 

• All ingredients are ready let us prepare our salad. Today I am sharing 2 different ways to present our salad
• First one is for some party or gathering.  Cute salad glasses for our guest and loved ones. Let's start. Take a glass, add lettuce leaves in the bottom, now add a tablespoon of beans, next layer is of our rice, above rice our tangy salsa then some crunchy vegetables like bell pepper. Now some protein in the form of cottage cheese, last are my favourite sweet corns, garnish with mint leaves and your cute salad glass is ready.

• Next one is the traditional way. Take a large bowl add Rice, Beans, Salsa, Red bell pepper and sweet corns - mix all together nicely. Now take a serving bowl, spread some lettuce leaves now transfer our salad mixture to this. Garnish it with crumbled cottage cheese and mint leaves. 

• Healthy Rice Bean salad is ready .. It's a perfect one pot meal or a guilt free lunch and dinner option.

Tips :  

You can add Avocado to salsa . If red bell pepper is not available add green capsicum. Change the spices according to your taste