Nutritious Quinoa Pulao with vegetables. One pot, gluten-free and vegan meal for quick meals or lunchboxes.
Quinoa (pronounced as kee-wah) is one of the ancient grains and is very popular these days especially among the people who want to avoid rice. It is also known as the superfood of the future. Quinoa is a complete protein as it is loaded with all the 9 essential amino acids. A rich source of iron, magnesium, and riboflavin which is known to improve the energy levels in brain and muscle cells.
This grain is a native of South America(Peru) and was discovered 4-5 thousand years ago. These days lot of people have started eating it. We use it in salads, soups and as an alternative to rice.
Quinoa for Everyday Meals
In short, from salads, to sides , from breakfast to main it can form an integral part of your everyday meal. Many of my friends have included Quinoa and other ancient grains in their diet.Till now somehow I have not included these grains in my everyday meal. Though I got packs of quinoa, black rice and couscous for trying out, but I still believe in having my typical North Indian meal of Dal, Roti,Subzi and Chawal(rice ). I know these are the healthy options to carbohydrate rich Rice , but somehow rice is still the 'to go' meal for me. I like to have quinoa once in a while in my salads or when I want to have break from my usual rice eating routine or use to make burger patties with red beans. Rajeev and kids do not like it much except they have it in form of burger patties.
I like this Quinoa pulao, so thought of posting for the letter Q. It is made by cooking quinoa with veggies in Indian spices, just like the way we cook Rice Pulao.
Cooking Method to make Quinoa Pulao
It is a one pot meal, and can be prepared within 20 minutes when cooked in pressure cooker or Instant Pot. A perfect wholesome meal for packing in lunch box. Cooking Quinoa in open pan can take long time as the grain takes time to cook. Pressure cooking reduces the time and also retains the nutrients which can be destroyed with overcooking of the grain.
Let's see how I make this Quinoa Pulao..
Quinoa Pulao can be made just like the way we make Mixed Veg. Pulao. I do not use whole spices in preparing it.You can add paneer/tofu or soya chunks along with the vegetables.
If you see the stepwise pics, I have not used the onions and tomatoes in the recipe, I have used my homemade bhuna masala(onion-ginger and garlic masala) that I keep ready for making quick curries and dals. But in the recipe I have given the amount of onions and tomatoes to be used in the recipe.
Quinoa Pulao
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Quinoa
- 1/4 Cup Mixed Vegetables
- 1/2 Onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
- 1 Tomato
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tbsp Oil
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
Instructions
- Wash Quinoa very nicely in running tap water, till it is clear.
- In pressure cooker, add oil. Add cumin seeds when the oil is hot enough.When seeds crackle, add ginger garlic paste. When the raw smell of garlic goes away, add onions and saute till translucent.
- Add finely chopped tomatoes or tomato puree. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add vegetables saute for few seconds.
- Add quinoa and water . For 1/2 Cup quinoa add 1 cup water. Add asalt and garam masala.
- Cover the lid and cook for 3-4 whistles on medium flame.
- Quinoa is cooked when the grains become translucent, and you can see tiny sprouts on the cooked grain. Fluff with fork and serve hot with chutney or raita or curry of your choice.
Notes
Do make this wonderful Pulao and add a royal touch to your menu. SO perfect for the festivals and special occasions. The rice is so rich and full in flavours that my 7yr old loves to have it just like that, without any curry or dal.
So make some creamy gravy and enjoy this rice with some boondi raita side.
Do visit my social media accounts.. FB, Pinterest and Instagram. Whenever you make this,do post on my FB page or tag me on Instagram. Pin the recipes for later use.
If you like my work, then do hit the follow button and subscribe to the blog to get notifications on new posts and share the blog with your loved ones. I promise won't spam your mailbox ?.
This is 16th in my series of A-Z Biryani/Pulao/Khichdi dishes, that I am taking to Mega Blogging Marathon April'19.
Day 17. Q.. Quinoa Pulao
This is an event where I along with a group of fellow bloggers are blogging everyday about Biryani/Pulao/Khichdi dishes this whole April, with Sundays off.
My earlier posts for the event..
Day 1. A.. Aloo Matar Ki Tehri
Day 2. B..Broccoli Mushroom Pulao
Day 3 . C..Chana Dal Khichdi
Day 4. D..Dhaniya Pulao
Day 5. E.. Easy Steamed Rice in Instant Pot with Pot in Pot Method
Day 6. F.. Fresh Mint and Peas Pulao
Day 7. G.. Gatte Ka Pulao
Day 8. H.. Hari Moong Dal Khichdi
Day 9. I.. Iyengar Puliyogare(Instant)
Day 10. J.. Jeera Rice
Day 11. K.. Kashmiri Pulao
Day 12. L.. Lucknowi Veg. Dum Biryani
Day 13. M..Mixed Veg Pulao
Day 14. N.. No-Onion No-Garlic Kadhai Paneer Pulao
Day 15. O.. Oats and Moong Dal Khichdi
Day 16. P. Pearl Pulao
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99
Renu Agrawal Dongre
Wonderful pic for the letter Q and an awesome healthy share loaded with nutrients.
Srivalli Jetti
I guess this is the most popular one for the day! Even I made something like this..very nicely done.
srividhya
Is it the red quinoa or the regular one? Love the color and the pulao has come out really well.
Swati
Its the regular one Srividya.. has a red hue due to tomato and carrot.
Sushma
Quinoa pulao looks delicious. It surely gives a nutty and crunchy texture to the dish.
gayathriraani
Quinoa is such a versatile ingredient which is used in so much recipes. This pulao with the veggies and quinoa is such a nutritious treat.
harini
Good pick. This is one of the first dishes I tried with Quinoa years ago and haven't made it since 🙂 Your version sounds delicious
Suma Gandlur
It is one of the grains I really enjoy eating and your pulao looks perfectly made.
vaishalisabnani
Quinoa is the perfect choice for the alphabet , the pulao looks wholesome and healthy . Well even we haven’t really included this grain in our daily diet , but yes it is one healthy one that should be included .
Megala
Wonderful dish! I like its beautiful color.