QUINOA BIRYANI
QUINOA BIRYANI RECIPE
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1/3 cup washed basmati or brown rice
- 1/2 cup yogurt (optional)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral flavored oil)
- 1 cup large chunks cauliflower
- 1 cup sliced potatoes (cut into wedges)
- 1 cup chopped carrots (1 in sized sticks)
- 1 cup green beans (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 2 medium sized onions
- 6 cloves peeled garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 green chillies (adjust based on spice level)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 4 tsp whole black peppers (or substitute 1/4black pepper powder)
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp inch cinnamon stick (or substitute 1/2 cinnamon powder)
- 2 cloves
- 4-5 dry red chillies (or substitute chill powder)
- 2 tbsp coconut flakes (fresh or dried)
- Salt to taste
- Toppings (all optional)
- 1/4 finely sliced onions
- 2 tbsp mint leaves
Method
- Blend all the whole spices in a blender.
- Heat the gas on medium heat. Take a Kadhai and once hot, add in the oil and let it heat for a couple of seconds.
- Add in the spice paste and stir it around, frying it until the raw smell disappears and it absorbs the oil.
- Once the paste begins to release oil droplets on the side, add in the chopped vegetables under “Vegetables”.
- Saute the vegetables for another minute to evenly coat them with the spice paste. They don’t need to cook at this point.
- If using yogurt, stir it in now along with the vegetables. I have made with and without the yogurt and both taste good.
- Next, add in the rice and quinoa, spreading it around the pot so it’s not concentrated in one spot.
- Add in 2 to 2.5 cups of water to generously cover the quinoa.
- Now put on a lid and let it cook for another 7-10 minutes.
- Top it with caramelized onions, nuts, and some whole spice.