healthy quinoa bowl Archives

Cooking healthy meals every day is challenging for busy families. But with a little bit of smart planning, you can make eating home easier than ordering in take out each night. One pot meals are one solution to living a more healthier lifestyle for busy families.

Using simple recipes and easy to use ingredients one can make a variety of flavorful meals. Quinoa is one such quick-cooking grain that also makes a protein-rich filling meal.

In our home, I like to mix it up when it comes to food. And creating new recipes from old classics is one way we avoid food monotony.

Every Indian home makes the classic Khichdi, here is a new take on an old classic – A one-pot quinoa khichdi.

It takes only half an hour to prepare and tastes like a lighter version of the dal rice khichdi.

I use masoor dal for the heartier flavor it lends to the dish but you can use moong dal too.

This khichdi is also freezer friendly, which means you can make a large batch and use through the week.

If khichdi is not your thing here is another basic quinoa recipe I put up last time on the blog.

ONE POT QUINOA KHICHDI RECIPE

One Pot Quinoa Khichdi

Quinoa Khichdi is a super simple quinoa recipe and a delicious meal for babies, toddlers and the family. Perfect for busy moms with less time on hand.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 cup masoor dal
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 large carrot chopped
2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp sambar powder
3-4 curry leaves
salt to taste
1 tbsp cold pressed groundnut oil

Instructions

Start by soaking a 1:1 proportion of quinoa and masoor dal. Soak the quinoa and masoor dal separately for about 20 minutes. Wash the quinoa thoroughly before soaking.
In a hot pan, add a tablespoon of oil, followed by cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let these sputter in the hot oil.
Now add veggies of your choice, I had carrots and peas on hand. Fry them in the oil.
Add the quinoa and masoor dal, followed by 2 and a half cups of water, salt, and spices.
Stir and let this cook for about 5 to 7 minutes.
When cooked, all the water is absorbed by the quinoa. Fluff up the quinoa with a fork and serve it with homemade yogurt. I add a little black salt to the yogurt to give it some flavor.

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Where to buy Quinoa?

True Elements Quinoa

Organic India Quinoa

One pot recipes like this quinoa bowl are one of the reasons I can manage cooking daily. Such recipes don’t require much skill and are super tasty.

One pot recipes are also a great way to add more vegetables into the diet. You can add any veggies you have on hand, like cauliflower, french beans, peas, carrots, boiled corn kernels, or bell peppers.

Are you looking for more easy recipes? Here is a collection of 5 easy one-pot dinners I make regularly in our home

Do you have a go-to quinoa recipe?

Leave me a comment below and tell me more.

Every time I whip up this one pot quinoa recipe, I get several requests to do a quick tutorial on how to cook quinoa? So here goes, one of my basic quinoa recipes just for you.

I have already mentioned the superfood benefits of quinoa in my blog post on superfoods for kids. At the same time, I would like to mention here that including quinoa in your diet is not a must. Yes, it is a complete protein for vegetarians, but so are other traditional foods such as dal and rice, rajma and rice and idli sambhar for example.

We use quinoa mainly to mix things up from time to time and eat a more varied diet. I easily get bored of the same kinds of foods and like to have different options for plant foods. It helps that quinoa is quick to cook and doesn’t require expert cooking skills.

This basic recipe is one of our favorite one pot quinoa recipes.

We pair this one pot quinoa with a soup or pasta dish to make a wholesome dinner for the family.

For more such one pot recipes, head to my post on one pot recipes for busy moms. These recipes are perfect for moms with little children. They require minimal effort and provide the much-needed nutrition growing children need.

Quinoa is very easy to work with and can be used in salads, as a filling in burritos, in wraps and in stews. The flavor itself is mild and quinoa takes the taste of the other condiments or spices you add to the main dish.

ONE POT QUINOA RECIPE

One Pot Quinoa

Ophira

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa
150 gms mushrooms
100 gms frozen peas
1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp salt free soup powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Start by soaking the quinoa in water for at least 15-20 minutes. It is ready to cook when you begin to see the inner white germ of the seed.
2. In a large pot, add garlic pods to hot oil. Stir until the garlic oils are infused in the cooking oil.
3. Add one large chopped onion and saute until golden brown.
4. Now add the mushrooms and peas and cook for 5 minutes on low flame.
5. Add turmeric, black pepper, and salt. Mix well.
5. Now add the soaked quinoa and enough water to cover the quinoa. The quinoa to water ratio I use is 1:1.5
6. Add in the soup powder and let this come to a boil. It takes about 10 minutes for the quinoa to cook.
7. The water should get absorbed and the end result is a fluffy quinoa grain.