Veggie Platter: Quinoa

Showing posts with label Quinoa. Show all posts

Friday, November 26, 2021

'Quinoa' Maavinakayi Chitranna / Mango - Coconut Quinoa

(This was originally posted on 5 /3/2011.)

Quinoa can be incorporated into Indian cuisine effortlessly. It can be used to replace rice in most of the dishes that need it and this post happens to be one such recipe. Mango chitranna / pulihora is a simple yet delicious dish from South India that uses rice and green mango. It is prepared especially during summer times when green mangoes are available in abundance. I have replaced rice with quinoa in this popular, tongue- tickling dish and here is the method.

And don't worry about the long list of ingredients mentioned. Most of them go in the tadka / tempering.

Below are some other quinoa based dishes that I have already posted.

Cooking Quinoa

Quinoa Bisebele
Quinoa Khichdi
Quinoa - Masoordal Soup
Quinoa Panchkuti Dal Khichdi
Quinoa Pilaf
Quinoa Pongal
Quinoa Sweet Pongal
Quinoa Upma

Ingredients: (Yield - 3 servings)
1 cup quinoa
1 - 2 tbsp. oil
1/4 cup. peanuts
1 tbsp. Bengal gram / chana dal
1 tbsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
1 tsp. mustard seeds
A sprig of curry leaves
2 green chilies (I used Serrano peppers. If using other varieties, adjust the quantity according to the spiciness preferred.)
2 -3 dried red chilies, broken into small pieces
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
A pinch of asafoetida powder
3/4 cup grated raw mango
1/2 cup shredded fresh coconut (thaw if using frozen)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp mustard seeds powder + 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds / methi powder (optional but recommended. The quantities can be increased if preferred. Lightly toast mustard and fenugreek seeds and powder them fine.)
Minced cilantro for garnish

Method:

* Wash quinoa in several exchanges of water. Add quinoa and 1 & 3/4 cups of water to a pressure cooker and cook until done. (2 - 3 whistles). Cool and fluff.
Alternatively, it can be cooked on stovetop. Bring the water to a rolling boil and then add quinoa. Cover and cook until done, about 20 minutes. When done, the seeds become translucent and the white germ would partially detach itself, appearing like a tail.
* Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan or a kadai. Add the peanuts, Bengal gram, skinned black gram and mustard seeds. When peanuts start to turn reddish, add green & red chilies and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds and then add the turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, mango and coconut and stir well. Turn off the stove.
* Next add the cooked quinoa, salt, mustard and fenugreek powders to the pan and mix well to combine.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page to find what other marathoners are cooking.

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Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Quinoa Idli

So far in this series -

A for Avarekayi Idli

B for Bajra Flour idli

C for Cornmeal Idli

D for Dal Idli

E for Elaneer Idli

F for Foxtail Millet Idli

G for Green Gram Idli

H for Halasina Hannina Idli

I for Idli (using idli rice)

J for Jowar Idli

K for Kumbalakaayi Idli

L for Lauki Idli

M for Mallige Idli

N for Navadhanya idli

O for Oats Idli

P for Poha Idli

Idli is one of the healthiest breakfast dishes one can pick from the south Indian menu. Idlis are made with black gram and rice / cream of rice and I have replaced half the portion of rice with quinoa here though quinoa quantity can be increased. Adding protein rich quinoa obviously makes the dish more healthier and makes a filling breakfast / brunch item. I have used tricolored quinoa which has given the color to the idlis though ivory colored quinoa can be used. These are gluten free and vegan and taste delicious when served with sambhar and / or chutney.

Ingredients: (Yield - 20 idlis)

1/2 cup quinoa

1/2 cup idli rice
1/2 cup skinned black gram / urad dal
1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds / methi seeds
1.5 tsp. salt
Water to grind (I added a little over 3/4 cup of water.)

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa 2 - 3 times by rubbing between fingers and drain. Similarly rinse idli rice, skinned black gram, and fenugreek seeds together and drain. Soak them together in water, in a wide bowl for about 4 to 5 hours and drain the water used to soak completely.

2. Grind them together adding salt and water, only as much needed to grind them into a smooth and thick batter. (The salt can be added just before making idlis if living in a warm climate. I add it while grinding since I live in a cold climate and the batter takes longer to ferment.) Transfer the batter to a container and cover it.

3. Allow the batter to ferment overnight (if the batter was ground in the evening) or for about 10 - 12 hours in a warm place. If living in a cold climate, leaving the batter in an oven with the lights on (without turning on the oven) helps. Or use yogurt setting in an instant pot.

The fermented batter looks like above in the picture - thicker than when grounded, airy, and slightly sour smelling. It however doesn't raise much as in case of the standard idli version. Gently stir the batter a couple of times with a ladle.

* Heat about 2 cups of water in a idli cooker base or a idli cooker or a steamer on medium heat.

4. Grease the idli moulds with ghee / oil. Ladle the batter into the idli moulds carefully without spilling.

* Place the idli stand in the prepared cooker / steamer and close the lid. Don't use the valve for the lid if using a pressure cooker.

* Steam the idlis on low heat setting for about 20 - 25 minutes or until done. (The idlis should not stick when touched with moist fingers.) Check the water level in the steamer base and add extra if needed.

* Wait for about 10 minutes and then remove the idlis from idli stand. Remove the idlis by running a spoon around the edges.

Serving the idlis:

Drizzle melted ghee over the idlis and serve them with a chutney, and sambhar if preferred. Mine were served with a mixed vegetable sambhar.

What to do with leftover idlis:

1. Refrigerate the left over idlis and use in a day or two.

2. Or they can be cooled down immediately after preparation and frozen to use later. Nuke them in a microwave, covered and enjoy hot, piping idlis when needed.

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Saturday, July 11, 2020

A - Z Karnataka Recipe Series ~ Q for 'Quinoa' Oralu Chitranna / 'Quinoa' Kayi Sasive Anna

So far in my 'A - Z' Karnataka Recipe Series,

A - Akki Halbai
B - Biscuit Roti
C - Congress Kadalekayi
D - Davanagere Benne Dose
E - Ellu Pajji
F - Field Beans / Avarekalu Payasa
G - Girmit
H - Hitakida Avarekalu Huli
I - Iyengar Bakery Style Masala Toast
J - Jolada Vade
K - Kumbalakayi Idli
L - Limbe Hannina Gojju
M - Mysore Pak

N - Nuchinunde
O - Oodhalina Bisibele Bhath
P - Panchakajjaya

A few alphabets always prove difficult when doing Indian based 'A - Z' themed culinary series as those particular sounds are not in use in local Indian languages. I had the same difficulty while planning this vegetarian recipe series from the south Indian state of Karnataka. I stumbled earlier at alphabet 'F' and had to use an English name and today, I had to again resort to some manipulation as there are no ingredients or recipes that start with 'Q' in the state's cuisine. I cooked a rice dish which is traditional and unique to the region, substituting quinoa instead, making it my 'Q' dish today. Quinoa though not local to the region is available now in India and I therefore figured out that I can go ahead with my choice. Feel free to use rice in the recipe for the age old version or even millet, in case quinoa is not available.

Today's rice dish, a onion and garlic free dish comes from the Udupi region and quintessentially a Karnataka dish as a bisibele bhath is. They are my all time favorite rice dishes, hands down.😋 The temple town of Udupi from the state is famous for it's own brand of vegetarian cuisine which has it's origins from the Astha mathas of Udupi, founded by Madhwacharya. Though it is common now to find an eatery with a prefix 'Udupi' in every nook and corner of the world, once the vegetarian Udupi restaurants were run by priests and cooks trained at the Krishna matha, following the temple tradition.

Kayi sasive anna is a spicy and delicious rice dish made with an uncooked paste of coconut, mustard seeds, tamarind, jaggery and chilies. This main course is usually reserved for meals served during festivals and social gatherings, especially in Brahmin households. The dish is quite an easy one to prepare if one figures out how to balance the sweet, sour and the spicy flavors. Rice is cooked and mixed with the above said paste and salt, with an addition of the typical south Indian style of tempering of peanuts, curry leaves and other ingredients.

A paste of 'kaayi' (coconut) and 'sasive' (mustard seeds) is mixed with anna (rice) and hence the name kayi sasive anna. It is also called oralu chitranna since a 'oralu', a stone grinder was used traditionally to grind the paste manually. Whereas chitranna refers to any tempered, spicy rice dish such as a lemon rice / mango rice. Usage of byadagi chillies gives the characteristic orange- red hue to the dish. I had run out of those and used the spicy variety dried chilies.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa
Salt to taste

Ingredients for the spicy paste:
3/4 cup fresh / frozen grated coconut
1 tbsp. sized tamarind ball
1 tbsp. powdered jaggery
5 - 6 dried, spicy variety red chillies *
1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
2 pinches of powdered hing / asafoetida
(* Combination of spicy and byadagi chillies give the dish a beautiful color.)

Ingredients for tadka / tempering:
2 tbsp. oil
A handful of peanuts
1 tbsp. split chickpeas / chana dal
1/2 tbsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
A sprig of curry leaves
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder

Directions:

* Rinse quinoa thoroughly a few times with water and drain. Add the drained quinoa and water and pressure cook for three whistles. (I added 1 + 1/4 + 1/8 cups of water.) Leave the quinoa aside for at least about 30 minutes so that the quinoa grains stand apart.

* Soak tamarind in water for easy grinding. If not soaked ahead then nuke it in the microwave adding a little water for a couple of minutes. Drain the water and use the tamarind.
* Thaw the coconut if using frozen one by placing it in a microwave for about a minute.

* Grind together the ingredients mentioned under the 'spicy paste' list, without adding any water or as little water as possible. (I did not add any.)
* Heat oil in a kadai / wide pan. Add peanuts, split chick peas, black gram, and mustard seeds. Toast them until the dals and peanuts turn golden brown. Add curry leaves and turmeric powder at the end and turn off the stove.
* Immediately add the ground paste, cooked quinoa and salt. Break any lumps if present from the cooked quinoa using the back of a spatula and mix well. (Don't add all the paste at once if not sure whether the spice level can be handled. Add about half the quantity of the paste, mix, taste test and add the remaining paste if needed.)
* Serve warm immediately and refrigerate any left overs.

Notes:
1. There is no need to cook the paste.
2. The same paste can be used to make the traditional rice version. Cook a cup of rice instead of quinoa and follow the same steps.
3. The spice level of the paste worked for our taste levels. If one is not used to spicy food, then don't add all the masala paste at once. Add little by little and do the taste testing.
4. Refrigerate any leftover rice as soon as it comes to room temperature. Raw coconut is used here and the rice easily gets spoiled if the weather is warm.

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Friday, April 19, 2019

A - Z Indian Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi Series ~ Q for 'Quinoa' Panchkuti Dal Khichdi

I already have a Hyderabadi version qabooli on my blog and so it was going to be a Jodhpuri version this time, I thought when planning for my 'Q' recipe this month. I cooked this week's dishes well ahead except for the qabooli for the lack of good pomegranates here locally. I waited all through the end of fall, then winter and now through these early days of spring which by the way looks more like winter considering that I had a full day blast of snow early this week. The poor husband kept bringing whatever pomegranates he could lay his hands on during these months. The sorry looking fruits had arils looking like someone sat leisurely and leeched off the color without missing even a single one. Kashmiri pulao was done without them but not qabooli, I decided.

Biryani and pulao names kept piling up when I started listing the dishes for this marathon. Khichdis were almost like last minute addition to justify the title of this marathon's theme. I came across a version of 'Panchkuti dal khichdi' after I cooked 'Pariba khechudi' and it got bookmarked to try later. When the qabooli didn't happen, I cooked it using quinoa. I am not sure if this khichdi belongs to a particular region. There was a Sanjeev Kapoor recipe with rice version which suggested that it may be from the western regions of India. Another recipe floating around the web is a millet based one, seemingly one from Himachali cuisine. I am sure both taste yummy and are wholesome. I have been eating quinoa for years and love it in khichdi consistency dishes. And so this combo was a 'match made in heaven' to me.

This khichdi uses five different varieties of lentils as the Rajasthani panchmel dal. Toor dal, Moong dal in both yellow and green colors, masoor dal and chana dal feature in this recipe. One can keep the grain and lentil ratio equal or go with a slightly higher lentil ratio to rice. Soaking some of the lentils for an hour or two before cooking will ensure that all lentils and rice are cooked at the same time, qualifying it to be a quick one pot meal. Use whatever grain that is preferred in your home to prepare this khichdi - millet, oats, quinoa, rice and also any combo of lentils you have on hand. The final result would be a khichdi that is still delicious, nutritious and filling. One can soak the lentils the previous night or use any pre- soaked ones to make it a quicker meal option to cook during morning rush. This version doesn't even involve any vegetables and so can be a cooked as a quick lunch box item or a meal that needs no side dishes and can be served on it's own. I didn't feel the lack of veggies in the khichdi but one can always add them to make it wholesome. Serve it warm with some spicy pickle / achaar and yogurt to make it a wholesome meal.

Ingredients: (yield 2 servings)
1/4 cup quinoa / rice / millets
1 tbsp. split yellow peas / chana dal
1 tbsp. green gram / sabut moong dal
1 tbsp. pigeon peas / toor dal
1 tbsp. yellow moong dal
1 tbsp. red lentils / masoor dal
1.5 cups water (divided)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. salt

Ingredients for tempering:
2 tbsp. ghee and /or oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 cloves
1/4 tsp. crushed black pepper (Use whole pepper corns if you prefer them that way.)
1 inch piece cinnamon stick
2 green or dried red chillies

Directions:
* Wash and soak yellow split peas, pigeon peas and green gram in water for about 1 to 2 hours. Drain the water and keep aside.
* Rinse quinoa with water thoroughly and drain. Rinse moong dal and red lentils in two changes of water and drain.
* Pressure cook together quinoa, lentils, and turmeric adding a cup of water, for 3 whistles. (I usually avoid adding salt since pigeon peas are not cooked well.)
* Heat ghee in a small pan for tadka / tempering. When it melts, add all the other ingredients mentioned under 'tempering'. Turn off the stove when mustard seeds start to splutter.
* Remove the cooker lid when the valve pressure is gone. Add salt and 1//2 cup water to the cooked quinoa mixture. Stir well and check the consistency of the khichdi. Add extra water if a thinner consitency khichdi is prefeered. Add the tempering and mix well.
* Turn on the stove and let the mixture simmer for few minutes.
* Turn off the stove and serve the khichdi warm with achaar, papad and yogurt to make it a wholesome meal.

Note:
The tempering can be done initially, directly in the pressure cooker before adding quinoa and lentils and cooked together.

So far in my Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi series,
A - Ambur Biryani
B - Basanti Pulao / Misthi Pulao
C - Corn - Fenugreek Greens Pulao
D - Donne Biryani
E - Ek Toap na Dal Bhaat
F - Fada ni Khichdi
G - Gutti Vankaya Biryani
H - Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani
I - Iyengar Puliyogare
J - Jaipuri Mewa Pulao
K - Kashmiri Pulao
L - Lucknowi Biryani

M - Motiwale Pulao
N - Nei choru
O - Oodhala Pulao
P - Pariba Khechudi

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Sunday, February 3, 2019

Quinoa - Avocado Pasta

Event: Blogging Marathon #97

Theme: Paleo / Vegan / Gluten-Free Recipes

This quinoa pasta in avocado sauce hardly takes ten minutes to prepare and is quite a flavor packed one. The avocado sauce here is somewhat prepared on the lines of a pesto sauce along with avocado, which lends creaminess to the sauce. The quinoa pasta by itself is gluten free and vegan and the 'no cook' avocado sauce fits the paleo bill as well. Sprinkle some cheese over the pasta if not vegan to make it more tastier.

Ingredients:
2 cups quinoa pasta
2 ripe avocados -peeled, halved and seeded
2 handfuls of basil and/or cilantro leaves (I used cilantro.)
2 garlic cloves
A handful of almonds (optional)
3 - 4 tbsp. olive oil (or as needed)
Lemon juice to taste
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
(1/4 cup parmesan cheese if not vegan)

Directions:
* Cook quinoa pasta according to package directions. Save some of the pasta liquid and drain.
* While the pasta is cooking, add avocado, cilantro, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice to a blender / food processor and blend well until the desired consistency is reached (chunky or creamy). If you have hard time processing the ingredients, add a little pasta water to facilitate easy grinding.
* Toss the pasta and the avocado sauce together. Season with salt and black pepper and serve immediately. (Sprinkle some cheese over the pasta if not vegan.)

bmlogo

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Tuesday, January 5, 2016

How to Cook Quinoa

Quinoa pronounced 'keen-wah' is a pseudo-cereal, meaning it is not a grain in a true sense and are only seeds. It has been cultivated in the Andean region for thousands of years though it has caught the fancy of the Western world recently. And why not? It is gluten free, a high source of protein and fiber compared to the other grains and can be easily digested. It is versatile and can be adapted easily into any cuisine. The flip side however is it is expensive compared to the other commonly available grains. Initially I remember spending around 8 to 9 $ per pound of quinoa though the price has come down in the recent years. I find it cheaper to buy it in bulk at Whole Foods store rather than packaged stuff in super markets, comparatively. At least, locally. And also, my family has proven that it is an acquired taste and everyone may not go gaga over quinoa even it is healthier. :) Luckily I like the taste of quinoa and I am sticking to it.

Quinoa can be cooked and used just like rice and so this is not much of a post if you know how to cook rice. Over the years, I have realized that I enjoy quinoa when served in mushy/gravy style dishes rather than in the dry forms like salads. Now I use it in place of rice for my south Indian style meals where I serve it with sambhar and curry and the added bonus is that a small portion of quinoa is way more filling than rice, comparitively. My today's lunch was carrot-beans sambhar and potato curry served with tri-colored quinoa.

Ingredients: (3 servings)
3/4 cup quinoa
Water (Check below for the quantity.)

Cooking quinoa on stove top:
* Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a sauce pan.

* Meanwhile, wash quinoa thoroughly and drain. Add the quinoa to the boiling water and turn down the stove to low / medium flame. Cover and cook until the quinoa grains appear transparent and well cooked, about 20 to 25 minutes. The water quantity mentioned above is sufficient to cook this quantity of quinoa. However check once or twice intermittently to see if any extra water is needed.

If you are cooking multi-hued quinoa, particularly look for the light colored one and notice that the center portion of it to see whether the whole grain is cooked / whether it is done. The center portion of the grain gets cooked at the end than the surface portion.

Cooking in a pressure cooker:

* Wash 3/4 cup quinoa thoroughly with water. Add quinoa directly to a small pressure cooker or to a container that is going to be placed in the pressure cooker. Add 1 & 1/2 cups water to the quinoa. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and put the pressure valve on. Cook for 3 to 4 whistles and turn off the stove. When the valve pressure is released, open the lid of the cooker and use the quinoa as needed.

This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Healthy Recipes / Diabetic Recipes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Recipe Index ~ Rice & Other Grains / One Pot Meals

Here is a list of main course dishes / one pot meals / quick meal ideas using rice and other grains. The recipes are all vegan / vegetarian / lacto - vegetarian and predominantly Indian.

BARLEY DISHES: