Coconut Quinoa (South Indian Style) ~ Day 65

Here is a healthy and nutritious alternative to a traditional South Indian coconut rice.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ingredients:

• Quinoa (white or tri-color) - 1 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Grated coconut (fresh or frozen) - 3/4 cup 
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 2 tsp
• Broken cashews - 10
• Broken red chillies - 4
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Rinse the quinoa well and drain.  Cook quinoa with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles.  For the stove top method, bring water to a boil in a sauce pan.  Add quinoa, stir, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.  Let it stand covered for 5 minutes and fluff gently with a fork.  
2. Heat oil in a skillet.  Splutter mustard seeds.  Add urad dal, red chillies, cashews, curry leaves, and asafoetida.  Fry until golden brown over low heat. 
3. Add the grated coconut and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.  Turn off the heat.
4. Add the cooked quinoa and salt.  Mix well.
5. Serve with any spicy gravy, papad or chips.

Quinoa Pulao with Roasted Corn ~ Day 49

  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ingredients:

• Organic Quinoa - 1 cup
• Roasted corn - 3/4 cup (I used Trader Joe's frozen roasted corn)
• Onion - 1, sliced
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Ginger - 2 tsp, grated
• Garlic - 1 tsp, minced
• Bay leaf - 2
• Cinnamon - 1 stick
• Cloves - 3
• Green cardamom - 2
• Green chilies - 3, slit
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves / Cilantro and Mint leaves - 2 tbsp each, chopped
• Salt - to taste
• Oil + Ghee - 1 tbsp each
• Water - 2 to 2 and 1/2 cups

Method:

1. Heat oil and ghee in a deep wide skillet.  Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.  Fry for 10 seconds.
2. Add the sliced onion, green chilies, ginger and garlic.  Saute for 3 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add the roasted corn, garam masla and mint leaves.  Saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add the quinoa and mix well.  Add 2 cups of water and salt.  Bring it to boil.
5. Cover and cook over low heat until the quinoa is soft and fluffy, about 15 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and add coriander leaves and gently mix with a fork.
7. Serve hot with raita or any gravy.

Tomato Quinoa

Ingredients:
Quinoa (White or Red) - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 3 (finely chopped)
Onion - 2 small (diced)
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Green chilies - 4 or to taste (finely chopped)
Chana Dal - 2 tsp
Urad Dal - 2 tsp
Ginger - small piece (finely chopped)
Red chili Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Asafetida - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 TBSP
Curry Leaves and Fresh Coriander Leaves - few springs

Method:

1. Wash the quinoa thoroughly and cook with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker or on a stove top.
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.  Add the chana dal, urad dal and cumin seeds.  Fry until golden brown.
3. Now add the chopped onion, green chilies, ginger and curry leaves and fry until translucent.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, chile powder, turmeric powder, salt and asafetida.  Cook until tomatoes are soft.
5. Add the cooked quinoa and mix well to coat.  Sprinkle some fresh coriander leaves.
6. Serve hot with raita.

Sending this to WWC: Quinoa for dinner event created by Sanjeeta.

Quinoa - Sweet / Sarkari Pongal

Ingredients:
Quinoa - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1 cup
Ghee - 3 TBSP
Cashews and Raisins - 5 each
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1 cup
Skim Milk - 1 cup

Method:
Cook quinoa with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of skim milk in a pressure cooker or on a stove top (Just like you cook rice).
Heat jaggery with 1/4 cup of water till it dissolves.  Strain the dissolved syrup to remove impurities.
Heat 2 TBSP ghee in a pan and add the jaggery syrup and let it thickens for five minutes.
Now add the cooked quinoa and stir on a medium flame.  Cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
Mix in the cardamom powder.  Fry cashews and raisins in 1 TBSP of ghee and add it to the pongal.
Serve hot.

Sending this to CWF event hosted by Priya.

Quinoa Salad with Moong Dal

Ingredients:

Quinoa (Red or White) - 1/2 cup
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Carrot - 2 (shredded)
Tomato - 1 (Pulp taken out and diced)
Ground Black Pepper - 1 tsp or to taste
Lemon Juice - from one lemon
Salt - to taste
Fresh Coriander - 2 tsp
Water - 1 cup

Method:

1. Soak the moong dal in water for two hours.
2. Wash and cook Quinoa in 1 cup of water in a pressure cooker or on a stove top until tender.
3. Let it cool.
4. Drain the moong dal completely and add it to the cooked quinoa along with the shredded carrots, diced tomatoes, black pepper, salt, lemon juice and fresh coriander.
5. Toss well and serve.