Quinoa- pronounced as Quin-wa is recently become very popular in many cuisines. This unique grain has nutty taste and has variety of uses.
Quinoa is a delicious, nutty flavored grain. It contains the most protein of any grain and is a great source of vitamin and minerals such as iron, magnesium, vitamin E, potassium, amino acids and fiber. It’s a great compliment to a vegetarian, vegan, or reduced-gluten or gluten-free diet. I find quinoa a bit bland so I cooked it according to the recipe and then added some yogurt etc and it came out really tasty.
How do you cook it?
Basic Quinoa Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
- Optional: 1/4 tsp salt
To Soak or Not to Soak: It usually works well either way. Most quinoa that you buy in stores has been pre-rinsed and dried, but it won’t hurt to soak it for a few minutes beforehand. 5 minutes is sufficient to loosen up any residue of saponin, dust or chaff that remains. Skip soaking if you prefer, but always rinse.
- You’ll need a 2 quart pot with a tight fitting lid, and a fine mesh strainer (I’ve used cheese cloth)
- To Rinse: Stir the quinoa with your hand, use your fingers and palm of your hand to rub and clean, Carefully pour off the rinsed water, using a fine mesh strainer remove the last of the water. You do not need to remove all the water, but ensure a good rinse.
- After draining the rinsed quinoa, transfer it to the cooking pot.
- Add 1.5 cups water & 1/2 tsp salt, if desired.
- Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer.
- Cook for about 15 minutes.
- Remove quinoa from heat and allow to sit five minutes with the lid on.
- Fluff quinoa gently with a fork and serve with Daal or Yogurt.
- After I cooked Quinoa, I realized that it really was very Bland. I knew it had to have some flavor and other items.
- Please check How to cook Quinoa. If you like it the way it tastes, you can use it plain but I wantedd to create some flavor and taste.
- The recipe below will give you an idea of how to add vegetable, Daal or yogurt to make it a meal.
- So I added some yogurt, and spices. It made a big difference and I wanted to share it with you. This dish can be made ahead. warm and serve-caution- yogurt may make this dish a bit liquidy if heated-it will taste OK.Once you know what you would like with Quinoa, your creative ideas can work wonders. This can be agreat side dish or just a meal by itself- as long as you like Quinoa.You can add choppedd green chilies if you like spicy hot taste.
Quinoa Khichari-Quinoa with Yogurt
Ingredients
Instructions
Heat oil in a skillet, add the seeds, when seeds start to pop, add Quinoa, yogurt, and all other items. Mix and serve while warm.
