Here’s how you can use the healthy grain in when cooking Indian food.
Quinoa seeds are high in protein and fibre. Quinoa can be cooked over by stove top or an electric rice cooker or pressure cooker in any liquid of your choice (water / veggie broth / chicken broth / light coconut milk). Just follow the instructions on the packet.
QUINOA PULAO
Ingredients
Cooked Quinoa 1 cup (quinoa seeds yield about 2 & 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa)
Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder 3/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala powder 1/2 teaspoon
Onion 1/2 cup (sliced)
Tomato 1/4 cup chopped
Green Chili 2 chopped
Vegetables 1 cup (carrots, green peas, beans)
Ginger 1 tablespoon (crushed)
Garlic 5 cloves (crushed)
Sugar a pinch
Salt (1/2 teaspoon while cooking quinoa) + 1/2 teaspoon for gravy
Oil 2 tablespoons
Coriander leaves 2 tablespoons (chopped) for garnish
Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, and the chopped onions and green chillies. Let them brown a bit and then add ginger and garlic. Fry till slightly tender. Then add in the chopped tomatoes along with the veggies. Add a pinch of sugar, salt, and the spice powders. Stir fry for a few minutes, cover and cook over low flame for 6-7 minutes or until the veggies become tender.
Now add the cooked quinoa to this and mix to coat the masala all over. Again cover and cook over very low flame for 5 minutes just for the quinoa to absorb the flavour from the masala. Remove from fire, and garnish with coriander leaves and serve plain or with raita.
QUINOA KHEER
This is a creamy dessert made with quinoa, milk and condensed milk.
Ingredients
Butter or Ghee: 1 tsp
Quinoa: ⅓ cup
Water: ⅓ cup
Milk: ⅓ cup +1 ½ cup
Saffron: 8-10 strands
Condensed milk: ⅓ cup
Almonds, cashews and pistachios: 5 each
Cardamom or Elaichi powder: A pinch each
Dry roast nuts, let them cool down for few minutes and then chop into small pieces. Dissolve saffron strands in warm milk till you get nice colour. Wash quinoa 2-3 times in water and drain out the water. In a medium hot pan add butter and quinoa and roast it for few minutes. After few minutes of roasting, add water and ⅓ cup of milk.
Let it boil, change the heat to medium low, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or till quinoa becomes soft. Once quinoa is soft add the rest of the milk, cardamom powder, saffron mixture and increase the heat to medium. Stir it frequently and let the mixture boil for 7-8 minutes and then add condensed milk.
Stir and cook for additional 7-8 minutes. After that add chopped nuts and cook for another minute or two.
Turn off the heat and your hot quinoa kheer is ready to serve. For those who prefer their desserts cold, keep quinoa kheer in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
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