Quinoa pulao recipe - Quinoa pulav recipe

Quinoa pulao or pulav recipe - Quinoa pulao is just like a rice pulao prepared with quinoa and vegetables such as carrot, green peas, and tempered with some essential spices which enhances the fragrance. Frying quinoa and vegetables in the tempered spices intensifies the flavor. Quinoa pulao in itself is a complete meal. As I mentioned in my quinoa idi recipe, it is rich in protein and is a nutritious seeds with nutty flavor and bland taste. You need to add flavour by using onion, curry leaves, ginger, coriander leaves, green chillies etc.

I have added quinoa in my diet very recently and gradually developed liking towards it. This nutritious seeds available in almost all shops,  and is reasonably priced. Though I have used only two vegetables while preparing this dish, any vegetable of your choice such as ivy gourds, cauliflower, beans, potato, tomato and corn can also be used.

Try it with different combination of vegetables which are seasonal and easily available in the vegetable shops. By using quinoa, a khichdi with a different flavor and taste can also be prepared with green gram dal, onion, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin seeds powder and garam masala. However, it is worth keeping in view the health benefits associated with quinoa. The quantity of quinoa I have used in this recipe is sufficient for two servings, but you can increase the ingredients as well as tempering ingredients to make more servings.

Recipes you may like
Palak Pulao
Soya Beans Pulao
Matar Paneer Pulao
Mushroom Pulao

Quinoa Pulao Recipe - Quinoa Pulav Recipe

Prep time : 20 mins
Cook time :25-30 mins
Total time : 50 mins
Recipe type : Pulao - Main
Cuisine : Indian
Yield : Serves 2
Author : Vidya Chandrahas

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup carrot pieces
• 1/2 cup green peas / matar
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves
• Salt to taste

For the tempering

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 bay leaf / tej patha
• 4-5 cloves / lavang
• 1/8" piece cinnamon / dalchini
• 3 green cardamoms / elaichi
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds / jeera
• 1 green chilli, chopped

Method

1. Rinse the quinoa, drain water through a thin strainer and set aside. These are very tiny grains, so take care while draining the water.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add the green chillies, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin seeds and cardamoms. Fry till they release nice fragrance.
3. Add the carrot and green peas, saute for 2 minutes. When the skin of green peas have some wrinkles, add the quinoa and saute for a while. Add salt and mix.
4. Add 2 cups of water and mix with a spoon.
5. Cover the pan with lid and cook till the water dries up. Check in between to prevent it from burning.
6. When the water dries up and quinoa become soft, add the coriander leaves and mix.
7. Serve quinoa pulao with papad, pickles and raita of your choice.

Note

1. Cook the quinoa till they become soft and do not ristrict yourself from adding only 2 cups of water. Gradually add more water if required. 
2. If you add more vegetables than mentioned in the recipe, increase quantity of water to prevent the pulao from becoming too dry and chewy.
3. Quinoa is a very tiny grain, so while rinsing and draining water, take care to prevent it from flowing through the drained water. For this purpose you can use thin strainer.

Quinoa pulao - step by step pictures

1.  Rinse the quinoa with sufficient water, drain water through a thin strainer and set aside.

2.  Heat oil in a pan and add the ingredients mentioned under " For the tempering" one by one. Fry till they release nice fragrance.

 3.  Add the green peas and carrots. You can also add some other vegetables at this stage.

 4.  Saute till the green peas have some wrinkles on their skin.

 5. Add the quinoa and mix well.

 6.  Add exactly 2 cups of water and salt. Mix well with a large spoon.

7.  Cover the pan with lid and cook till quinoa become soft and water dries up.

 8. Once the quinoa become soft, switch off the flame and add the chopped coriander leaves.

 9.  Mix well with a spoon. Quinoa pulao is ready to serve.

10.  Serve the quinoa pulao hot with papad, pickle and raita.

Spring onion paratha recipe

Spring onion paratha recipe - Paratha is one of the favorite breakfast dishes which we like to have often. Spring onions are usually used in Indo-chinese cooking as a garnish. But we can also prepare delicious parathas out of the spring onions. Whenever I have a bunch of these green onions, I make parathas and zunka. Though I make some side dishes to serve with parathas, I personally prefer  to have it with pickle, chutney and yogurt.

Usually, paratha is made by using  stuffing method or mix and roll method. The mix and roll method is very easy, simple and quick. Even you can prepare the dough well in advance and keep in the refrigerator to make and serve hot parathas as and when required.

Here I have used six spring onions along with bulbs for a cup of wheat flour. The taste and flavour of the paratha differs on the quantity of spring onions that you use. You can use some more spring onions in this recipe. The quantity of other ingredients and yogurt  depends upon the quantity of flour and spring onions.

However you can adjust the ingredients according to your taste. You can also add fistful of chopped coriander leaves and few chopped mint leaves to the dough for extra flavor. I have not used them in this recipe. Also check out some other paratha recipes in this space. 

Spring Onion Paratha Recipe

Prep time : 20 mins
Cook time : 20 mins
Total time : 40 mins
Recipe type : Breakfast
Cuisine : North Indian
Yield : 5 parathas
Author : Vidya Chandrahas

Ingredients 

• 6 spring onions
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1/4 cup gram flour / besan
• 4 tbsp thick yogurt / curd
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• A pinch asafoetida / hing
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder / jeera
• A generous pinch of garam masala
• 3/4 tsp salt or as required
• Ghee or oil as required

Method

1. Chop off the root and rough skin of the spring onions. Wash them thoroughly under running water and pat to dry.
2. Chop the spring onions and bulbs finely and set aside. 
3. Put the wheat flour and besan in a large bowl.
4. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, hing, coriander powder, jeera powder, garam masala and salt. Add the yogurt. 
5. Add the chopped spring onions.
6. Mix all the ingredients till they combine well.  Knead it to a rolling consistency dough. Do not add much water.
7. Make 5 medium sized balls from the dough.
8. Roll the dough balls into wheat flour and roll it to round roti with a rolling pin. Dust it with some more wheat flour while rolling. 
9. Heat a  griddle and pour some ghee on it. Place the paratha and pour some more ghee over it.
10. Cook until golden brown spots appear from both sides. 
11. Serve the spring onion paratha hot with choice of your side dish.

Spring onion veg paratha - step by step pictures

1.  Chop off the root and rough skin of the spring onions. Wash them thoroughly under running water and pat to dry.

2.  Chop the spring onions and bulbs finely and set aside. 

3.  Put the wheat flour and besan in a large bowl.

4.  Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, hing, coriander powder, jeera powder, garam masala and salt.

5.  Add the yogurt.

6.  Add the chopped spring onions.

7.  Mix all the ingredients till they combine well.  Knead it to a rolling consistency dough. Do not add any water.

8.  Make 5 medium sized balls from the dough.

9.  Roll the dough balls into wheat flour and roll it to round roti with a rolling pin. Dust it with some more wheat flour while rolling.

10.  Heat a  griddle and pour some ghee on it. Place the paratha and pour some more ghee over it. Cook until golden brown spots appear from both sides.

11.  Serve the spring onion paratha hot with choice of your side dish.