Quinoa. I’d say it’s a great grain, but it’s not really a grain. It’s a seed. I learn new things all the time. I used to think it was a grain. Why wouldn’t I? It look like a grain and you can use it like you would a grain. But, it’s a seed. A seed that is a complete protein. It is high in folate, phosphorus, and iron.
Quinoa is coated with saponins which are bitter. Some manufacturers process the quinoa to remove the saponins. Some don’t. I learned this after making this dish. Chaz kept tasting something bitter. I didn’t. So, I rinse my quinoa to remove any potential saponins now.
When it comes to fixing quinoa, I tend to use other people’s recipes. Or to fix it plain. Several weeks ago, I decided to play around with it.
I knew I wanted to use mustard seeds and garam masala. My imagination took me from there.
Garam Masala Quinoa
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 onion chopped
1-2 tablespoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 – 1 cup carrots chopped
1 cup quinoa, uncooked (rinsed)
1 1/2 – 2 cups water
1-2 cups bell peppers, diced
salt
Warm coconut oil in a large skillet. Add onions, mustard seed, garam masala, and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add quinoa and water, stir. Add peppers and salt. Stir. Cover and cook until water is absorbed. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Hi Debi,
I couldn’t find a contact for you anywhere so I’m asking here. I recently decided to start doing a weekly gluten-free, vegetarian recipe roundup. I plan to include this recipe plus your Eggs en Cocotte this week. If you want, I’d be happy to include the pictures from the posts. In general I think people are more interested in recipes if they can see a picture. But since it’s your picture, I figured I’d ask and see if it was ok with you first.
Just shoot me an email and let me know. 🙂
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