delicious quinoa

One thing I love about getting back to work after a lovely 4 month break is the lunch time. We have a small little kitchen where about 10 of us gather and chat about food, people and general stuff. But mostly about food. This is where I was introduced to the little grain called quinoa only a few months back. For a few seconds I thought cous-cous had grown a little transparent tail. On tasting, it was nothing like cous-cous. It took me a while to develop a taste for quinoa, but now that I have, I make it at least ones a week. It is easy, delicious and healthy. And like rice, you can make a whole lot in a matter of few minutes.

Like most Indians, I own a pressure cooker and making quinoa is as easy as making rice. I can see most of you are going..."What??? no food processor, but you own a pressure cooker?" In my defense, I have inherited it...from my husband. He carried it with him when he came here from India. And it is super useful and easy enough to use. If you don't have the cooker, simply follow the instructions on the side of the box. I used the white kind, but I gather there are many more types of quinoa.

  

delicious quinoa

1 cup cooked quinoa (I used 1 cup quinoa with 1 1/2 cups water)

1/2 cup zucchini and carrots (any available veggies are fine)

handful of cashew nuts

1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

3-4 kari leaves (optional, but gives a great taste)

1 green chili, halved

2 teaspoons oil

1 teaspoon sugar

salt per taste

cilantro for garnish

In a deep saucepan heat oil and add the mustard seeds. Allow to splutter and then add ginger, chili , cashew nuts and kari leaves.

Chop zucchini and carrots into small bite sized pieces. Add these into the saucepan and cook till carrots soften. Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork and add to the saucepan along with salt and sugar and stir till everything has mixed well.

Garnish with cilantro and enjoy hot!!! Squeeze some lemon for even better tasting deliciousness.