Curried quinoa is a simple and flavorful Indian-style quinoa dish flavored with Indian spices and loaded with vegetables. This spiced quinoa can be served as a main course dish as well as a hearty salad. It's vegan and gluten-free.
From the frequency of quinoa recipes getting posted on my blog, most of my readers would have guessed how much I love this ingredient.
It can be used in a lot of different ways and I love the way it absorbs the flavors of the dishes it's used in.
Today I am sharing an Indian-style quinoa recipe- curried quinoa with vegetables.
It can be served in the main course and also as a hearty salad
What goes in curried quinoa?
To make curried quinoa in Indian style, you will need the ingredients shown below:
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
- Quinoa: Use any variety of your choice- white, red, black, or rainbow.
- Vegetables: I have used green peas, carrots, French beans, potatoes, and cauliflower. Feel free to use vegetables of your choice.
- Water: Vegetable stock can also be used for cooking quinoa. It will add more flavor to the dish.
- Black mustard seeds: Instead of mustard seeds, cumin seeds can be used too. You can also add both.
- Ginger garlic paste: Finely chopped ginger and garlic can also be used.
How to make (step by step instructions)?
Step 1: Put rinsed quinoa in a cooking pot. Add water.
Step 2: Cook uncovered for around 15 minutes or until all the water gets absorbed.
Step 3: Switch off the stove and cover the pot for around 5 minutes.
Step 4: After 5 minutes, fluff with a fork.
Step 5: Heat oil in a cooking pot and add mustard seeds to it. Let the seeds splutter.
Step 6: Add chopped onion and saute until it starts turning brown.
Step 7: Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for about a minute.
Step 8: Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, ground black pepper, and garam masala.
Step 9: Saute for a few seconds.
Step 10: Add chopped tomatoes, green chilies, and salt.
Step 11: Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.
Step 12: Add chopped vegetables.
Step 13: Saute vegetables without water for around 1-2 minutes.
Step 14: Add water.
Step 15: Cover the cooking pot with a lid.
Step 16: Cook covered on medium flame until the vegetables are nicely cooked but still crunchy. It will take around 12-15 minutes.
Step 17: Add cooked quinoa.
Step 18: Mix everything.
Step 19: Cover the pot and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Step 20: Garnish with chopped cilantro
Your delicious Indian-style curried quinoa with vegetables is ready to be served.
Serving suggestions
As a main course dish, serve this quinoa warm or hot. It can be served just like a rice dish with some curry, dal, or just raita on the side like chana dal, dal palak, rajma, Indian vegetable curry, cucumber raita, etc.
This Indian-style quinoa can also be served as a filling salad. If serving as a salad, serve cold or warm.
It can be packed in the tiffin box for lunch and is also a great option for picnics and potlucks.
How to store?
To store, allow it to reach room temperature, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Can it be frozen?
Yes, Indian curried quinoa freezes well. Freeze it in freezer-friendly containers or zip lock bags for 3-4 months. It will be fine.
Reheating tips
To reheat, transfer to a microwave-safe container, add around 1-2 tablespoons of water, and microwave for about a minute. Take out and stir. Put back in the microwave and reheat until it gets evenly heated.
To reheat on the stovetop, transfer to a cooking pot and add around ¼th cup of water. Tightly cover the pot with a lid and reheat for a few minutes. Keep stirring after 2-3 minutes to make sure it's not burning. If required add more water.
You can also stir fry it in a little oil to reheat.
Recipe tips and tricks
- For more flavor, cook quinoa in vegetable stock instead of water.
- Follow the recipe instructions carefully to make sure that the quinoa doesn't turn mushy.
- Add fresh lime juice to the final dish. It makes curried quinoa more refreshing and flavorful.
- Feel free to add vegetables of your choice.
- You can also add boiled chickpeas or any other beans of your choice.
Frequently asked questions
For perfect fluffy quinoa, the quinoa to water ratio should be 1:2 i.e. for every 1 cup of quinoa, add 2 cups of water. Also, cook it uncovered for around 15 minutes on medium flame then switch off the stove and cover for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, fluff with a fork.
Yes, quinoa is gluten-free.
More easy quinoa recipes
Looking for more ideas to add quinoa to your diet? Don't miss checking the following recipes:
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in the recipe card below. You can also follow me on Instagram, Youtube, and Pinterest.
Recipe
Curried quinoa with vegetables
Equipment
- Cooking pot
Ingredients
Ingredients to cook quinoa
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 cup water/ vegetable stock
Other ingredients
- 2 cups vegetables chopped into small pieces I have used cauliflower, carrot, potato, French beans, and green peas.
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 medium-sized tomato finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1-2 green chilies finely chopped
- A handful of fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ½ tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- ½ tablespoon cooking oil of choice
- ½ cup water or as required to cook vegetables
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa and put in a cooking pot. Add water and cook uncovered on a medium flame for around 15 minutes or until all the water gets absorbed.
- Switch off the stove and cover the pot with a lid. Don't remove the lid for 5 minutes, after that fluff quinoa with a fork and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a cooking pot. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
- Add chopped onion and cook until it starts turning brown.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for about a minute.
- Next, add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, ground black pepper, and garam masala. Saute for a few seconds.
- Add chopped tomatoes, green chilies, and salt. Mix and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.
- Once the tomatoes are cooked add chopped vegetables.
- Saute vegetables for about 1-2 minutes and then add around ½ a cup of water. Mix and cover the pot with a lid. Cook on medium until the vegetables are cooked. The vegetables should be cooked but should remain slightly crunchy.
- Add cooked quinoa, mix and cover the cooking pot with a lid again. Leave for 1-2 minutes then switch off the stove.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
- For more flavor, cook quinoa in vegetable stock instead of water.
- Follow the recipe instructions carefully to make sure that the quinoa doesn't turn mushy.
- Add fresh lime juice to the final dish. It makes curried quinoa more refreshing and flavorful.
- Feel free to add vegetables of your choice.
- You can also add boiled chickpeas or any other beans of your choice.
- More recipe tips and tricks are given within the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.
Joëlle
I have made it this recipe twice now with different vegetables, and a little chicken meat as well (planning to add tofu next time). Even though I didn’t have any garam masala, it turned out very tasty. I like the fact that I can make it ahead and warm up at supper time. Thank you very much.
Vandana Chauhan
Thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂