picnic food

Beetroot Quinoa

by // // No Comments

Beetroot QuinoaToday’s recipe is a continuation of my resolution to post healthy recipes as much as I can, going forward. Beetroot Quinoa is a dish made from a well known legume, beetroot and a not so common grain variety called the Quinoa. Like I had described in one of my earlier posts, Quinoa is a South American grain crop well known for its edible seeds. Quinoa is a super food that is rich in calories and easily digestible. Beetroot, as you may all know, is a very good source of iron and vitamins.

beetroot quinoaBeetroot Quinoa is a very easy dish to make. It literally takes 15 minutes to prepare. Also, with the way it’s made, you can either have Beetroot Quinoa as is or have the cooked beetroot only with rice. Beetroot Quinoa is a cold food and can be retained by refrigeration, making it the go-to food for bachelors and single ladies that is if you want to have healthy food, if not there is always pasta and noodles :). Also, it is a very good menu for lunch box, especially for kids 🙂

Beetroot quinoaFor those who worry about getting Quinoa back home, no worries, Quinoa is quite popular there and is called as (Seemai Thinai, literally known as foreign grain 🙂 ). Don’t miss out trying this truly healthy food which I believe will be a good alternative to have once in a while amongst the mundane dishes that we have often.

Print
Beetroot Quinoa
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • Olive oil or cooking oil – 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
  • Urad dal – ¼ tsp
  • Curry leaves – half sprig
  • Onion, finely chopped – 1 no
  • Green chilli, finely chopped – 2 nos
  • Beetroot, medium, grated – 1 cup
  • Quinoa – 1 cup
  • Salt as required
Instructions
  1. Wash and drain quinoa using strainer. Pressure cook for 3 whistles adding 1 ½ cups water and enough salt.
  3. Heat a pan and add oil. Season with mustard seeds and urad dal.
  5. Add finely chopped onions and sauté until they turn translucent.
  7. Add chopped green chilli, and curry leaves. Give a quick stir.
  9. Now add in finely grated beetroot. Add enough salt and sauté well. Drizzle few drops of water (2 tbsp) on top, cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes.
  11. Open the lid and sauté until all the water is absorbed. you can have this as a side or poriyal.
  13. Finally add cooked quinoa and mix well. Enjoy the yummy beetroot quinoa with papad! 
Notes
you can substitute quinoa and add rice instead.i.e beetroot rice.

Beetroot Quinoa

Coriander Rice

by // // No Comments

 

Coriander RiceIt has been quite a while since I had posted a recipe for a rice variety. The recipe that I have posted today is a specialty of my MIL. It is called as the Coriander/Cilantro rice. As the name suggests, the main ingredient here is coriander. It is a very simple and tasty dish.

Coriander RiceCoriander in general has many medicinal properties. It is used for obesity treatment, skin care and is also recommended for diabetic people. So Coriander rice is a healthy dish but you normally don’t find them in restaurant menus (maybe because it is healthy :)).

Coriander RiceOn days when you don’t feel like cooking but still want to have something healthy, Coriander rice is an apt choice. Try this simple and tasty variety rice in your kitchen and let me know what side dish you would prefer with it (I like it with simple potato chips and kadalaiparuppu thogaiyal 🙂 )

Print
Coriander Rice
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • Oil – 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
  • Urad dal – ½ tsp
  • Onion, medium, finely chopped – 1 no
  • Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
  • Raw rice – ¾ cup
  • Salt as required
  • Ghee – 1 tsp
to Grind:
  • Coriander leaves or cilantro – a bunch (1 ½ cups tightly packed)
  • Green chillies – 5 nos
  • Chutney:
  • Oil – ½ tsp
  • Asafetida, solid – 1 “
  • Red chilli – 1 no
  • Garlic clove – 1 no
  • Gram dal – 2 tbsp
  • Curry leaves – 4 nos
  • Grated coconut – 1 tsp
  • Salt as required
Instructions
  1. Wash and grind cilantro and green chillies to a fine paste.
  2. Wash and cook the rice adding enough salt to it and set aside.
  3. Heat a pan with little oil and season with mustard and urad dal.
  5. When they start to sizzle add in finely chopped onions. Sauté onions until they turn translucent.
  7. Add in ginger garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell disappears.
  9. Add the ground cilantro paste and stir until the raw smell disappears. Add enough salt and switch off the flame.
  11. Now add the cooked rice to the coriander paste and mix well until all the rice are well coated with the paste.
  13. Drizzle a few drops of ghee and serve hot with kadalai paruppu thogaiyal on the side.
  15. Kadalaparuppu thogaiyal-
  16. Heat a pan and dry roast asafetida for just few seconds. Transfer it to a plate.
  17. Heat the same pan with oil and add red chilli. Sauté until it changes color and transfer it as well to the plate.
  18. Add garlic clove and sauté until it turns translucent and transfer it to the plate.
  19. Add gram dal and sauté until the aroma spreads or until they turn golden brown.
  20. Switch off the flame and add grated coconut, curry leaves and salt.
  21. Grind everything together to a coarse paste by adding very little water.

025