Vegetable Quinoa pilau

Once hooked on Quinoa, it can easily replace a lot of rice dishes in the kitchen.  For this recipe I infused a lot of Goan spices used in a simple pilaf to create an exotic, healthy meal.

Ingredients

2 cups quinoa (I mixed red, black and regular quinoa)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 onions chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1 large tomato chopped
3 -4 pieces of cinnamon (about an inch each)
about 6-7 cloves
about 6 cardamon pods
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste

Optional

1-2 tablespoons of raisins or sultanas
2 tablespoons of nuts (I used walnuts here)
1 teaspoon of oil

Method

Rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve until it runs clear.   I sit the sieve in a glass bowl and run the water into the sieve, swishing the quinoa with my hands for about a minute.  This is an important step.  If the quinoa has not been properly washed by the manufacturer you will get a bitter taste in the final product.  Keep aside

In a large pan add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Heat and add the onions and garlic.  Cook for a few minutes then add the tomato.  Add the whole spices and stir till the tomato is cooked.

  Add the broth, salt to taste and bring to boil.

 When the broth is boiling add the Quinoa slowly.  Stir well, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.   Let the quinoa cook in a covered pan until all the liquid has been absorbed. About 20 minutes.  Remove the lid and fluff with a fork.

While the quinoa is cooking.  Heat the teaspoon of oil in a small pan.  When hot, add the sultanas and the nuts.  Stir till browned gently.  Make sure they do not burn, because they will brown very fast.

Remove and garnish the pilau.