Curried Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is an ancient grain. So quinoa has been around for a long, long time but I was totally unaware of it until about two years ago. As I read about its many health benefits, I wanted to incorporate it in our meals. I always strive to make foods healthier without compromising on the taste. But introducing a new ‘healthy’ food in our home has not always been easy and there are many stories my kids like to tell about mom, the health nut, who ruined their perfectly good junk food by trying to make it healthy! And my husband joins them with his own favorite story about my tofu parathas 🙂 So  you can understand my trepidation when I first made the Quinoa khichadi . But lo and behold! It was well received by my toughest critics! So I was encouraged to try more quinoa recipes.

This Curried Quinoa Salad is another Indian fusion recipe that will stick around in our family for a long time because it tastes delicious! I hope you like it too.

Ingredients-

• 1/2 cup quinoa. I used Whole Foods organic quinoa
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, such as MDH Arhar dal masala
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon sundried tomato  strips, such as Trader Joes California sundried tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• sea salt to taste
• 1 small apple, cored and diced
• 1/2 small red onion, peeled and diced
• Avocado chutney  and cucumber slices to serve

To make the quinoa salad-

1. Put the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and wash it well ,rubbing it between your finger tips. Drain.
2.  Heat a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil and the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds sizzle add the curry powder and the quinoa and stir it for a few seconds to coat the quinoa with the cumin and curry powder infused oil.
3. Add the hot water,sundried tomatoes, raisins, brown sugar and sea salt. When the mixture comes to a boil, stir and reduce heat to low. Partially cover the saucepan and let it cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked,about 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let it cool. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.
5. Add the cored and chopped apple and the diced onion and combine.To serve-

•  Cut thin slices from the long side of a cucumber, using a mandolin type slicer. Roll the slice into a circle and secure with a pick. Add the quinoa salad and top with the avocado chutney.

Enjoy! Hope you like is as much as I did!

Love,

Sandhya