3 Quick And Easy Quinoa Recipes

By Ms. Pretty Tyagi

Lead Health Coach, Nutritionist, Founder, My22BMI

Quinoa Poha with green peas

Poha is one of the most popular breakfast recipes in our country. It is not only healthy and nutrients packed but is also very delicious. However, it can be made even healthier and complete by twisting the recipe slightly, with a change of grain choice. An alternative healthier than flattened rice such as quinoa, fulfills the nutrient needs in a complete manner. Quinoa Poha is a great way to start the day. Try out this nutritious breakfast recipe and see how it works for you. 

The importance of whole grains in the breakfast is huge because whole grains are not only packed with all relevant nutrients but also are slow burning in the process of digestion. All foods that are consumed slowly in our bodies, give us energy and keep us satisfied for longer periods of time. Quinoa being one such amazing ingredient is a high protein whole grain and is also a very good source of calcium, magnesium and manganese. It also contributes useful levels of several B vitamins, vitamin E and dietary fiber. Quinoa, therefore is an excellent choice for some healthy breakfast recipes.

 Ingredients for Quinoa Poha Recipe:

1. Quinoa 1 cup
2. Mustard Oil 2 Tbsp.
3. Mustard seeds 1/2 Tsp.
4. Curry leaves 2-10
5. Onions finely chopped 2 medium
6. Turmeric powder 1/4 Tsp.
7. Green chilli chopped 1
8. Potatoes boiled, peeled and cubed 1 Medium
9. Green peas 2 Tbsp.
10. Salt 1Tsp.
11. Red Chilli powder 1/2Tsp.
12. Lemon Juice 1 Tbsp.
13. Roasted Peanuts 2 Tbsp.
14. Fresh coriander chopped 1 Tbsp.
15. Fresh coconut grated 2 Tbsp.

Method:

• Wash and rinse the quinoa well. Bring quinoa in a non-stickpan with 3 cups of water. Allow to boil. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a nonstick pan. Temper the mustard seeds and curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds, until they start splattering.
• Add onions and sauté till golden brown. Next, add turmeric powder, green chilli, red chili powder and sauté well.
• Add boiled potatoes and green peas and mix well. Sauté for 10-15 minutes and add the cooked quinoa, salt and mix well.
• Add lemon juice and mix well. Turn off the heat and transfer the poha in a serving bowl.
• Sprinkle roasted peanuts, coriander leaves and grated fresh coconut and serve hot.

Quinoa Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• Cake Ingredients:
• 2 cups cooked quinoa loosely packed
• 1/3 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup butter melted and slightly cooled
• 1 cup agave nectar or 1 ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Frosting Ingredients:
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two round cake pans (or a 9×13 pan) and then line the bottoms of the pans with parchment. (Do not skip the parchment if you want to be able to flip the cake out of the pan.)
2. Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in the blender or food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the cooked quinoa and the butter and puree until completely smooth. Stop the machine as needed to scrape the sides and make sure everything is well mixed. This will be a thick and creamy consistency once the quinoa is pureed. (You should not see any little beads of quinoa in the pureed mixture.) Whisk together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the contents from the blender. Stir until well combined.
3. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake on a center oven rack for 28-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire cooling rack. Peel off the parchment and let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
4. Place the chocolate chips in a medium size glass bowl. Heat the cream in a medium saucepan until is gently simmers. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or so and then whisk to combine until it is smooth and glossy. Refrigerate and let cool completely. (2-3 hours in the refrigerator or about an hour in the freezer.) When fully chilled. use a mixer to whip the chocolate cream into soft peaks.
5. Place one cake layer upside down on a plate. Scoop half the frosting onto that layer and gently spread it across almost to the edge. Place the other layer on top of the frosting and top with the remaining frosting. You can frost the sides if you like, I chose to leave mine simple. Chill 2-3 hours before serving to allow the frosting to set. Enjoy!

Quinoa Dosa Recipe

Ingredients-

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup moong dal
• 1/2 cup urad dal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• water as required

Instructions-

– Soak both the dals with quinoa for up to 4 hours

To prepare this yummy dosa recipe, wash together urad and moong dal in a bowl. Next, wash quinoa with water and mix in the dal bowl. Add water in the bowl and soak the trio for up to 4 hours.

– Prepare the dosa batter by blending the dal-quinoa mixture

After soaking, drain the extra water and add the mixture in a blender jar. Blend the mixture using a little water to make the batter of dosa. Add a little salt in this batter as per your taste and make a smooth dosa batter.

– Prepare the Quinoa Dosa

After preparing the batter, heat a non-stick pan on medium flame and smear it with a little oil (You can also use a dosa tawa for making them). Using a ladle, spread the batter in the pan in a circular motion and cook for a minute. Flip the other side and smear again with a little oil. Once the dosa is cooked to a brownish hue, transfer to a plate. Repeat with the procedure to make more such dosas. Serve with sambhar and chutney.