Quinoa Pilaf

When flipping through the recent issue of Vegetarian Times, I came across this South American, high-protien staple food. It looked very interesting and quite similar to Couscous. Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous. I got a packet of Quinoa (keen-wah) from Trader Joe's and made some pilaf. It came out really well.

Here's my version of Quinoa Pilaf

Ingredients

2 cups of Quinoa

Veggies

1/2 Bell pepper, finely chopped
1 Onion, finely chopped
1/4 Eggplant, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Peas
3 Green Chillies, finely chopped

Spices

1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder.
2 Cloves of Garlic

1 spoon Ginger Paste

3-4 Tbsp Oil

1/4 Cup Raisins
2 Bay Leaves
2 Cloves
1 Cinnamon stick
Salt according to taste

Chopped Cilantro


Soak quinoa in water for 30 minutes. Then, rinse it a couple of times and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, garlic and green chillies. When the garlic turns brown, add the onions and saute. Add ginger paste and saute. Next, add salt, cumin powder and coriander powder and saute for a couple of minutes.
Add the veggies and keep sauteing. Once the veggies are cooked, add the raisins and saute for a minute. Then, add the quinoa. Add 3 cups of water and close it with a lid and let it cook. When all the water has been absorbed, the quinoa is cooked and ready to be served. Garnish it with chopped cilantro.
Tastes great when served with a cup of yogurt on the side!