Light, healthy, and nutritious, Mexican Quinoa is an easy-to-make dish that comes together in under 30 minutes. It's made in just one pot where all the ingredients come together to make a medley of flavors.
4tablespoontomato pureeuse 3 tablespoon tomato paste if tomato puree is not available.
1 and ¼cupveg stock
salt to taste
½teaspoonblack pepper powder
½teaspooncumin powder
½teaspoonpaprika
Instructions
Heat 4 tablespoon light olive oil in a medium size heavy bottom large pan with a tight fitting lid.
Once the oil is hot, add 2 teaspoon chopped garlic and 1 cup chopped onion and fry till the onion turns pinkish color. Keep stirring occasionally. It will take 2-3 minutes on high heat.
Add 1 cup of quinoa to a soup strainer and rinse it well with water. Slightly rub the grains while rinsing to get rid of all the saponin, the coating over the seeds which make them bitter. If using pre-rinsed quinoa, skip this step. Add the rinsed quinoa to the pan and saute for 3-4 minutes, until it absorbs the oil. Keep stirring gently.
Add 1 chopped Jalapeno pepper (or according to your taste), ¼ cup chopped bell peppers, ¼ cup frozen peas, ¼ cup frozen corn, ¼ cup cubed carrot, and ½ cup cooked black beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. If using canned beans, rinse them before adding them to the pan.
Add 4 tablespoon tomato puree, salt to taste, ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, and ½ teaspoon paprika along with 1 and ¼ cup vegetable stock and mix everything gently. Cover the pot with the lid tightly and cook the quinoa on low heat till done. It will take 20-25 minutes.
Once the quinoa is cooked and all the water is absorbed, remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa gently with a fork. Serve hot.
Notes
I like to serve this as Mexican Quinoa Bowl. You can top this dish with guacamole, salsa, with lots of shredded cheese and sour cream. This is a full meal in itself and needs to other things to go along with it.You can serve this Mexican Quinoa Bowl topped with a sunny side up egg for breakfast.Use it as filling for taco or burrito.