A healthy alternative to Jeera Rice, Jeera Quinoa is a great alternative for those who are watching their rice and carbohydrate intake. Makes a great accompaniment to curries and dals. Can be used in burrito bowls and even salads. Quinoa, pronounced Keen Wah is actually a seed and not a grain at all, though its is used just like we would use rice or any grain. It is commonly called a pseudo grain, because it mimics the characteristics of grains. It’s actually closer to Spinach and Beets than any grain and what we consume is the seed of the plant though the leaves are also edible but just not as popular as the seeds. So why has it become so popular in the last few years and what gives it the superstar status? At a time when the world has become more health conscious and people are looking for options with low glycemic index and high protein, Quinoa fits the bill! You can read more about it here.

Quinoa, according to the National Academy of Sciences, is one of the best sources of protein in the Vegetable Kingdom. The authors of “Nutritive Values of Crops, Nutrient Content and Protein Quality of Quinoa and Cañihua, Edible Seed Products of the Andes Mountains” wrote: While no single food can supply all the essential life-sustaining nutrients, quinoa comes as close as any other in the plant or animal kingdom. In layman terms it means that Quinoa is a complete protein, providing all nine essential Amino acids, which the body is unable to make and hence must come from food.

There are so many varieties of Quinoa and they come in some amazing colors, adding such a pop to the meal! The most common is of course the white one, which is what I made, It goes well with Stir fried vegetables, curries, Mexican food. I like to use the colored varieties for salads and will be posting more recipes with Quinoa soon. Just a note, though we use Quinoa regularly instead of rice, it does taste different, almost a nutty flavor. I think I forgot to mention, it is GLUTEN FREE! So if you are looking for High protein, low carbohydrates and Gluten free, then look no further!

Moving on to the recipe, here is the written recipe followed by the step by step pictorial one-

Jeera Quinoa-Jeera Rice Substitute

Aanchal Gupta

Print Recipe

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 20

Total Time 22

Course Side dish/ Rice substitute

Cuisine International

Servings cups

Ingredients

1 cup Quinoa
2 cups water
1 tbsp Ghee/Oil for vegan option
Salt as per taste

Instructions

Wash Quinoa very well, rinse and soak for 30 minutes.
In pan add 1 tbsp Ghee/Oil.
Add Quinoa and salt(I used 1 tsp) and stir well for a few minutes.
Add water, bring to a boil, lower the heat to simmer or the lowest setting on your stovetop and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove, open lid and fluff with a fork.
You will know its done when each grain is translucent and white germ is clearly visible.
Enjoy.

Notes

This is the basic recipe, I use this as a base for lot of other recipes, which will follow.
Its important to wash Quinoa really well, as there is a natural coating called Saponin, which makes it bitter. Even though the variety sold in stores are prewashed, I still like to wash it really well and also soak it, so there is no chance of bitterness.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Here is the step by step pictorial recipe –

In hot Ghee/Oil add Cumin/Jeera