Gourmet Quinoa Pilaf

Who says healthy eating cannot be incredibly delicious and satisfying?!!

I must confess, have fallen in love with this wonderfully versatile ‘Quinoa’ whose delicate nutty flavor adapts well to both savory and sweet dishes.  This gourmet dish is a feast for the eye and the tongue but one doesn’t have to slog away for hours making this dish – Gourmet made Simple!

Before we get into the making of this gourmet pilaf, little intro on Quinoa. This is actually a seed not a grain from South America, which is gaining huge popularity in US. High in protein, fiber, and omega-3, quinoa can be used as a substitute for any grain in cooking. When cooked they expand in size about to two- three times their original size. The flavor being pretty bland incorporates well into any dish.

Per ayurveda, quinoa is tridoshic (it balances all three doshas in our bodies), an excellent pseudo-grain to use for detox and weight loss.

How to sprout Quinoa?

Take 1 cup of quinoa and soak it in 3 cups of warm water overnight. Next day, rinse and drain the water you should see small sprouts shooting out.

Let’s get started!!  You can make this pilaf in 20- 30 mins!!

Cook the sprouted quinoa with 2 cups of water in a sauce pot. Once it starts boiling, simmer and cook for about 15 mins. Once it reaches to a mushy consistency add salt per taste. As this is cooking, prepare the raw veggie topping sauce and the green sauce for quinoa.

Raw Veggie Topping Sauce

• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
• 2 tsp Curry pwd
• 2 tsp Cumin pwd
• 1 tbsp minced Ginger & Garlic
• 1 tsp Paprika pwd
• 4 tsp Lime Juice
• Few sprigs chopped Cilantro
• Salt to taste

Take all the ingredients listed for the sauce and whisk it together in a bowl. Pour this sauce on the chopped veggies (I like to use colorful peppers, carrots, cucumbers, zucchinis, onions, avocados) and let it sit for about 5 -10 mins. (For a deeper and richer flavor make this sauce ahead and marinate the raw veggies for about 15-20 mins.)

•  Green Sauce
  
• 1 cup chopped Cilantro
• 1 cup chopped Parsley
• 2 tsp minced Ginger & Garlic
• 1 chopped Serrano Chilli
• 1/2 cup shredded Coconut flakes
• Salt to taste

Blend all these ingredients in a sauce like consistency adding water.

Cook this sauce for few minutes on a medium flame to take away the raw taste of cilantro and parsley.

To this add the cooked quinoa and mix it together and simmer for few mins for everything to incorporate well.