Black Bean Salad -- one more light Lunch

The whole of winter we rarely ever see our neighbors except little neighbor girl of course.

Come summer everyone creeps out of the woodwork.There is weight that has been lost, pounds that have been put on, hair that has changed color and in some cases babies that have sprouted.I wouldn't even have recognized the same people in a different surrounding.

Last week on a balmy summer evening, we had a neighborly potluck dinner to get acquainted with the winter changes, to exchange smiles and discuss updates before we all go into hibernation again.

One of the neighbors had got a Black Bean Salad which was very refreshing and perfect for the weather. It was a new thing for me too given that I had never made or tried a black bean salad before.

I made it on Sunday for a Monday Light Lunch. Usually my weekday lunches are pretty light. I also like them better if they can be made quick. This served both purpose.

This is all you need. Feel free to substitute and add anything that goes.

Drain and rinse a can of black beans thoroughly. You can also use dried beans which you then have to soak and boil.

Chop up the following very fine
1/2 of an apple
1 jalapeno
1/4 of an onion
1/4 of a green mango
Note: Add or substitute with anything else you like. Also if I am saving this for next day I will not add onion until tomorrow.

Put all the above in a big bowl, add salt, add chaat masala, squeeze some lime juice and mix.

Dump the rinsed beans in the same bowl and mix again. Adjust for salt and spice.

Add a handful of cranberries.

There done, refrigerate and have this for lunch tomorrow. You can add avocados, julienned carrots to this one and use it as a filling for a wrap the next day.

This post also joins Light Lunch series at Red Chilies.

Now for some of you who had inquired about feta etc. in India here is a list of stores where you can get cheese et al in Indian Metros. These were inputs from my FaceBook readers, thanks to them. To update this list please leave a comment.

I stay in Hyderabad....I get them in Hyper City
Yesterday at 9:34am · LikeUnlike
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Nature's basket
Yesterday at 9:34am · LikeUnlike
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Dorabjee's in Pune
Yesterday at 10:04am · LikeUnlike
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Parmesan, bottled herbs like oregano, thyme, et al are actually quite common. Even small Mom and Pop supermarkets these days stock bottled Parmesan shavings.
Feta is probably a little more difficult to find but in Bombay, a slightly more up...market food shop like Spinach or Godrej Nature's basket will have it. And yes, as someone else mentioned, I have seen it in Hypercity in Bombay as well. (Unfortunately cook for an army every time I go back to India so I have looked!)See More
Yesterday at 10:09am · LikeUnlike
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In Kolkata....Babar Ali in New Market
Yesterday at 10:14am · LikeUnlike
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Natures basket. Sante at bandra. Spencers south city at cal. Most big city super markets have them
Yesterday at 10:30am · LikeUnlike
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Most Hypercity outlets and slightly "upmarket" grocers keep them these days.
Yesterday at 10:51am · LikeUnlike
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In Pune in Dorobjees and some cheese farms like ABC farms
Yesterday at 10:57am · LikeUnlike
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Hypercity in Bangalore.
Yesterday at 11:10am · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading...
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You can try flanders dairy products available at their Lodhi Road outlet. Check out www.flandersdairy.com for contact details. They really have a great selection.
Yesterday at 11:30am · LikeUnlike

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Could try the Street at the Park and Afraa, City Centre in Kolkata
22 hours ago · LikeUnlike
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It is available in most of the mega metros where imported stuff are available. In Kolkata one can get it in Spencers south city mall, or in La protina near deshapriya park other than in new market. Alternatively, Foodfood channel of Sanjeev Kapoor showed making feta with paneer soaked in voinegar for 6 to 8 hrs....and then washin it thoroghly under running water....parmessan and other varieties as well
21 hours ago · LikeUnlike
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You can get anything from Panchetta to Foigras to Feta in India...Just gotta have the will...there are are a few dairy farmers in Goa who supply some of the upscale hotels and locals in the area with their cheeses which include aged Parmesans and flavoured fettas.... like anything in India its who you know....
19 hours ago · LikeUnlike
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spencer's south city calcutta

Pasta Salad -- for a Light Lunch

Near my home there is a place called Tuscany.

Beautiful rolling hills, wind rustling through the olive branches, bales of golden hay rolled up in meadows....

Okay, Cut, Cut...That is the other Tuscany

Repeat again.

Near my home there is a place called Tuscany, the Italian Gourmet Food store. BigSis loves the pasta there. I love it too but she loves it more so lets blame it on her.

The other day I got a cold pasta salad for myself from the same place. It was a very simple salad, pasta, tomatoes and red peppers tossed in olive oil and with a generous sprinkling of Feta. It was really very good. I don't sing glories of vegetarian food just like that.

Big Sis wanted a taste and then she finished almost all my share. Not so good.

But I thought, "Hey, if the kid can eat Pasta Salad at Tuscany, she can sure eat one at home. That means so much less work for me. For the next 10 years or so until she goes to college, that is what I am going to feed her. Simple, light, almost healthy Pasta Salad. That leaves me with an enormous amount of time for blogging about food that I don't need to cook. Yippee."

So I searched high and low and settled on this recipe. Only I did not have mushroom OR bell pepper OR green onion OR black olives.

That did nothing to dampen my spirits. I had Grape Tomatoes AND Baby Spinach AND more lovely Grape Tomatoes and more tender Baby Spinach.

So in a big bowl I happily poured some Olive Oil, the EVOO...glug, glug, glug

Then I splashed some Balsamic Vinegar...splash

Added some Garlic Powder, Pepper powder, Sea Salt, bit of Sugar, some Parsley Flakes...sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle

Whisked together.

Meanwhile cooked Pasta according to package directions and a minute extra. I had Farfalle.

I had also roasted some of the grape tomatoes earlier, they were sweet.

To the big bowl which had Olive Oil etc., I added the cooked Pasta, the roasted as well as some fresh tomatoes and baby spinach. They were tossed and turned till everyone was happily coated with the dressing.

I wanted to add sausages too but totally forgot.

I then let it chill in the refrigerator. While serving a generous sprinkle of Herbed Feta went on top.

Everyone loved it. And after two meals of that BigSis said "I love your pasta salad, but can we not have any more of it?"

This one I am sending to Red Chilies to share with her for a Light Lunch, her brilliant series for June. I absolutely love light lunches as that is what I cook for us all through the week. I am looking forward to see  more light lunch ideas through out this month at Red Chilies.

Kancha Aamer Chaatni -- Mango Chutney

Remember my rant about nail paints some weeks back ? Remember me as the Mom who does not like kids to indulge in such pleasures ?

Well, after a long, long time I went for a pediacure last week. Other than work, I don't go out much without the kids so these ventures are very notable in my life.To achieve the said task, I went to work an hour early and then left an hour early so that in spite of my detour I could be back home in regular time.(I am okay if the Dad is home but in this case he was traveling). And then at the salon I could not enjoy my solitude and kept thinking of how I could have used up this hour at home instead. Talk of the perils of a working Mom.

Now either the salon people were very very diligent or my feet really needed work because even after 45 whole minutes I was sitting there having a hard time relaxing while this young girl kept rubbing one thing or the other on my feet and attempting small talk. Finally, while she tickled my toes with gooey aloe-vera, I had to tell her to hasten the process so that I could go home. Only, I did not say "go home", I said I had an important appointment, as if.

The young Chinese girl was very affected by my suggestion. She kept saying I should relax and enjoy but clearly those things were going above my head. As soon as she finished with the nail paint I scooped my bag, paid and ran, ignoring suggestion to sit and let the nails dry.

The moment I reach home, what do my two girls notice ? Ta-Da my toe nails. And they don't take it well. They keep asking about the garish pink nail color and why I didn't bring it along. They want their nails painted the same garish pink nail color.

I don't want to indulge and so I say "You can paint your nails when you are big".

The little one jumps at this prospect hoping to become B..I..G the next day and thanks me profusely.

The older one asks, "Big as in college ?"

I say, "Yeah".

She says, "By that time you will be old". This one forever seeks pleasure in my turning old.

I say, "So?"

She says, "If you are old, you will not be able to enjoy my nail colors. So don't you think you would like to see them now"

Me, "Yeah, Good try"

The green mango chutney or the kaancha aamer chaatni is something I adore. I have blogged about it here with full explanation. Here is a quick recap.

Wash and roughly peel 1 raw green mango. You don’t have to take out the peel very smoothly

Chop them up in small pieces(cubes)

Heat Mustard Oil in Kadai/Frying Pan

Add 1/2 tsp of Mustard seeds and 1 Dry Red Chilli. The mustard seeds will sputter and dance so use a splatter screen.

As soon as the mustard seeds start sputtering , add the chopped mangoes

Add a pinch of turmeric powder and sauté the mangoes

Saute till the mangoes turn a nice yellow because of the turmeric and soften a little.

Add salt and about 1-2 Cup water. Water should be enough to cook the mangoes. The chaatni should be thick and so add water moderately

Mix and cover and cook till mangoes are almost done. With the spatula check to see if the mangoes have softened.

Add about 2/3 Cup of sugar and mix well. Bengali chutneys are usually sweeter and so a little more sugar might be added if desired.Add a little more water.

Cook and reduce the water till you get a thick consistency and the mangoes are soft but not mashed up.

Roast about 1 tsp of panch puran/paanch phoron till you get a nice aroma, cool and dry grind it. Sprinkle this powder on the chaatni. More on Paanch Phoron.

Note: There are small variations to this which you can try.

1.Use Jaggery instead of sugar.

2. Instead of Paanch Phoron Powder use Bhaja Masala.

3. Instead of Paanch Phoron powder, roast Cumin seeds and Dry red chili, cool, grind to a powder. Sprinkle that on top. Thanks to Ushnish Da  for reminding.

4. You can use raisins in the chutney along with the mangoes. Sra says she likes that.

5. Add more water and cook mangoes till soft but not at all mashed up so that the chaatni is more liquid with pieces of mango

Roasting couple of Dry Red Chili on fire for Bhaja Masla #3.