The word "khana" in Indian Khana Made Easy means food. So come on, let's explore and cook some easy Indian food together including gluten-free and vegan dishes.

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August 14, 2012

Spice Up Your Bean Salad!

Another one of India's popular street foods that I love is Bhel Puri. It has everything under the sun like spices, vegetables, lentils, nuts and puffed rice. Alas we're not in India and the only time I really enjoy eating this savory snack is whenever we got out to eat. I would love to make it at home, but we don't always have the ingredients. At a recent family party, my mom tasted this yummy bhel puri that was made with bean salad. Hm, there's a thought! When my mom got home, she told me all about the snack and we got busy in the kitchen. I love the way her mind works! We found this delicious bean salad called Cowboy Caviar at Costco which was perfect for our version. It added a lot of flavor and color to the dish.

Heehaw!! I'm ready for seconds!
 Ingredients: 
- 1 Medium Onion, chopped finely
- 2 Plum Tomatoes, chopped finely
- 15 oz of Cowboy Caviar*
- 7 oz of Spicy Mamra (Unflavored Puffed Rice)

Although Cowboy Caviar has tomatoes and onions already in it, we added more for flavor and texture. 

Procedure:
In a big bowl, toss together the chopped onion, tomatoes and Cowboy Caviar. Then add the spicy mamra and mix well. The bhel puri is ready to be served and it's enough for 5 to 6 people, depending on the size of the bowl.


***Quick Tips:
Cowboy Caviar is a bean salad made by Meninno Brothers Gourmet Foods and is available at Costco. It's "Sweet with a Texas Twist"! It's made with black and white beans, vegetables, herbs and spices.