Why I Created This Recipe
Sorry for being so MIA lately. Little update of my personal life: I have started a new job at an awesome company and I am so excited! 🙌 Anyway, like most of you, I have been spending more time at home. I was craving for some simple quinoa salad at home the other day and I don’t have oranges at home to make my Orange Cranberry Quinoa Salad. So I checked my pantry, and when I spotted my jar of curry powder, I knew without a doubt that I have to make this curried quinoa.
Perfect Packed Lunch Option
This curried quinoa has quickly become my recent favorite packed lunch option. Not only is it so easy to make, but it can also serve warm or cold as salad. Quinoa is also super nutrient dense (some may call it a “superfood”). It is naturally gluten-free, rich in protein and contains all nine essential amino acids. Hence, making it an ideal element for a plant-based lunch box.
1-Bowl Recipe
So far this recipe sounds good right? 😏To make it even better, you can prepare it in one bowl! Perfect for people who hate washing dishes and making a mess in the kitchen. For me, I cook the quinoa in my Breville Multi Chef, wait for it to cool, and mix in all other ingredients. But you can also cook it in a rice cooker or a pot on the stove top.
Bursting With Flavor
For this curried quinoa, I added slivered almonds for crunchiness and dried blueberries for a hint of sweetness. But you can always adjust the recipe to your own liking., For example, you can substitute slivered almonds with any other kinds of nuts or seeds, pumpkin seeds will be a good replacement if you are allergic to nuts; You can also use raisins, and figs in place of dried blueberries. The choice is yours! 🥰
Serving Suggestions
For this curried quinoa dish, you can either serve it warm or cold. This is also perfect as an ingredient in nourish bowls, salads or burrito! 🌯
Simple Curried Quinoa (Vegan, Gluten-free)
Difficulty: Easy5
servings5
minutes15
minutesIngredients
1 cup dry quinoa
1 cup water or vegetable stock
2 dried bay leaves
2 shallots (diced)
1 garlic clove (minced)
2 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp groung black pepper
1/2 cup dried blueberries*
1 cup cooked lentils**
1/2 cup slivered almonds***
Directions
- Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse it.
- In a pot, rice cooker or Multi Chef, place dry quinoa, vegetable stock, bay leaves, curry powder, coriander seeds, shallots, salt, black pepper and minced garlic. Cook the quinoa as usual.
- After the quinoa is cooked. Remove the bay leaves and remove the pot from heat and let it sit in the pot for 5 more minutes.
- Fluff the quinoa and set aside to cool completely.
- After the quinoa is completely cooled. Mix in dried blueberries, slivered almonds and lentils. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
- * You can substitute dried blueberries with raisins, chopped dried figs or chopped dates.
- ** You can substitute lentils with any kinds of beans of your choice, such as chickpeas, black beans or red kidney beans.
- *** You can replace almonds with any nuts or seeds you like. Pumpkin seeds, sunflowers seeds, walnuts are options that go well with this curried quinoa.
