Food and culture, when shared, makes the world seem tighter-knit than disparate. One such contribution to the world of food is the popularity and use of the highly nutritious food, a seed, Quinoa. Native to the South American continent, today different varieties of quinoa have found their place in various cuisines all over the world. Its’ stellar nutrition profile, and ease of preparation makes it popular amidst health enthusiasts and seniors.

The #FitKitchen brings you an adaptation of the most popular South Indian breakfast, the Upma, but with a super health combination of 3 different types of Quinoa. The versatility of quinoa combined with the ease of preparation of the upma makes this #FitRecipe a combination you will find yourself reverting to often.

Give this #FitRecipe a shot and let us know if the Desi Upma with Videsi Quinoa made it in the breakfast planner for you and the family!

P.S: We read Everything!

Ingredients list: (Serves 4 people)

  • 1 cup tri-colored Quinoa
  • 2 cups water (if quinoa is not pre-soaked) or 1.5 cups water (if quinoa is pre-soaked)
  • 3 tbsp. Ghee
  • ¼ cup carrots, diced into small pieces
  • ¼ cup green beans, diced into small pieces
  • ¼ cup green peas
  • 1 tsp. chana dal
  • 1 tsp. urad dal
  • ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds (rai)
  • ¼ tsp Asafoetida (hing)
  • 1 tsp. turmeric (haldi)
  • 1-2 chopped green chillies
  • 1 tsp. grated ginger
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • ½ tsp Turmeric powder
  • 2 tbsp. peanuts
  • 3-4 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves (optional)
  • Salt to taste

Procedure:

  • Quinoa prep: rinse the quinoa under water until the water runs clear. Soak the quinoa for 1 hour, if available, as it softens the seed and decreases the cooking time
  • Moong and Chana dal: Rinse the moong and chana dal under water till the water runs clear, pat dry, and set aside
  • In a deep bottomed kadai, heat 2 tbsp. of ghee. Once the ghee s hot, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle. Then add the moong and chana dal, and fry the dals until they are golden brown colour
  • Add the grated ginger, chopped chilled, hing and sauté it for a minute on low flame
  • Add the curry leaves, chopped onions and sauté the mix till the onions turn a pale pink colour
  • Add the chopped carrots and green beans and cook the mix for another minute on low heat. Add haldi to this mix (optional)
  • Add the peas, last, as they cook quickly, and sauté it for 30 seconds
  • Add in the quinoa to the mixture, add salt and stir the mix well to incorporate all ingredients
  • Add 2 cups or 1.5 cup of water (not pre-soaked or pre-soaked quinoa) to the mix, adjust the salt as per taste, and mix it well
  • Cook this mixture on a medium-low flame, covered, until quinoa has absorbed all the water
  • Fry the peanuts in 1 tbsp. of ghee and pour over the quinoa mix
  • Mix the quinoa well, and garnish with chopped coriander leaves
  • Serve hot!

[product title="Recommended Products" limit="6" cols="2" cols_mb="4" cols_xs="6" pagination="view-all" layout="layout1" handle_collection="quinoa-upma" style="" vendors="true" countdown="false" countdown_style="dark" equal="true" size="nt_contain" ratio="ratio1_1" position="8" ]

Note: This recipe was adapted from the recipe by https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/quinoa-upma-recipe/